Priyanka Chopra on Deepika Padukone: Why is it always termed as bromance with boys and we are termed as cat-fighting?
Priyanka Chopra talks about missing Bollywood, coming home, and her alleged Hollywood battle with Deepika Padukone
Her oeuvre of work in Bollywood is something Priyanka Chopra
displays and promotes proudly, even in the West. It’s apparent in every
interview, every appearance she makes. The question is forever asked of
her, but she doesn’t tire of setting the record straight. And that’s
the desi girl sticking to her roots, accent allegations,
notwithstanding. A popular TV show, a highly anticipated Hollywood movie
– Baywatch,
a hit Marathi movie as producer, and a for-now uncertain, but
definitely exciting future in Bollywood ahead of her, we sit PC down and
talk about everything from movies to marriage and everything in
between. Read on…
Billboards, magazine covers, red carpets of awards, you have done it all here and now you are doing it all there in the West. How is it different?
When I started off in India, I did not know why I was getting what I was getting into. Or why that was happening in my life. I was very young at that time. Now I am coming from the experience of… you know, 12-13 years in the movies and being part of one of the most prolific movie businesses in the world. So, now, I know my job. I have learnt from the best directors, best producers, directors and co-actors. I can walk onto a set in between ‘action’ and ‘cut’ and I know what I am doing. I am coming from a certain level of confidence. That’s the big difference, I guess.
Did you feel like a newcomer or did you have that whole been there-done that thing when you were doing it all over again?
A little bit of both. I used to have the whole newcomer thing. Like when you go to a different country culturally, you don’t understand a lot of things. So, sometimes I wouldn’t understand the jokes or I wouldn’t understand phrasing of culture references. But I wasn’t afraid to ask what it meant. There were times I didn’t know what was going on. But when it came to what I was doing on the set, I came from a place I know.
Did you enjoy it more then, because it was new or now that it is happening again on an international scale?
The newness of it was a little scary. I believe that the one thing that every artiste wants to do is grow and I have always wanted to evolve. And you know, every step of the evolution is different and this is extremely gratifying in its own way.
What’s the one thing you miss the most about being on a Bollywood film set?
Dancing. I was just telling that to one of my colleagues the other day. They were watching my song from Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela and then they were like, ‘this is so cool’ and I am like ‘Damn, I’m really missing this.’
You have been away for so long. On a scale of 1-10 how homesick are you?
Seven. But we are closing in for Christmas and New Year’s and I will be coming home in about 10 to 15 days.
You’ve always lived with your family except for a little while when you were studying. Was it easier back then?
It is never easier. We are used to always living with our family and living without them is really hard, for sure. But I have a lot of people with me. I have made a few friends for life. So it doesn’t feel as bad. In the beginning, it was bad and I used to get really homesick. I used to make my mom fly down each month…
What is the biggest misconception Hollywood has about our industry?
That we break into a song and dance for no reason. I feel terrible and it makes me very angry.
Which is true, right?
I don’t think so. I think our stories go forward.
Of course they do, but situations are created for song, even if there was no place for them…
(Cuts in) But it doesn’t matter. It is culturally who we are. Everything in India turns into a dance party whether it is World Cup, or you have a baby, everything is a dance party, that’s how we tell stories. Our cinema is in that presentation for the last 100 years. That is part of our industry. It is different.
Do you find yourself defending that to a lot to people?
I do. I don’t see it as a defence, I see it as an education. A lot of people — like my friends and colleagues — are very sweet when it comes to my films and my work and so many of them have watched it and have liked my films like Barfi! and have an understanding of what our industry and Hindi films are are about.
Have you faced any stereotype in the West?
I guess people who have been introduced to me by Quantico, kind of knew what I could do. When I walked in, I didn’t really face any stereotypes when I met my colleagues and people I worked with. But in everyday life, yes, I do face stereotypes, which are funny.
Like what?
Like you speak English so well. That’s a common one. On how I look Puerto Rican and not Indian and things like that. I think those are the common misconceptions which people here have within the industry. Other than that, I have been pleasantly surprised with the kind of love, affection and respect that I have got.
That “From India? But you speak English so well” has happened to me too!
I will tell you a funny statistic. We have 1.2 billion people in India and only 10 per cent of India speaks English. We have a huge population, we are more than most countries but not everyone speaks English. Which is fine. It is a choice. Our parents took this choice to educate us in English.
While you are in Hollywood, does the FOMO in Bollywood ever cross your mind?
All the time! Please. Hindi films are what I do. But I am an artiste, and I will go wherever my work takes me. The language doesn’t matter to me. English and Hindi are the same. What I miss really is the films and you know the luxury of filmmaking and language of filmmaking. I really enjoy that. Because in Hindi films there is such beauty and poetry to the way we tell stories. So yes of course I miss it.
Do you worry that Bollywood would not offer you roles that would otherwise come to you fearing that you will not come back?
If that happens, it would be unfortunate. It hasn’t happened yet. It is not something I worry about because I don’t see it happening. If it does, then like I said, evolution is the most natural part of being an artiste. Nothing speaks larger than the audience and till people want to watch me I am…(trails off).
Your Marathi film Ventilator was not a typical commercial fare. Yet it did really well. Do you feel you will be able to produce this kind of cinema in Hindi as well?
I am taking baby steps right now. I have to say I am very cautious as a filmmaker the same way I am cautious as an actor. I like to take risks, but I also want to be able to tell stories that I believe in, which I think will translate well into movies. I take care about what I attach my name to. I believe in box office. I have always believed in the business of filmmaking and entertainment, but box office is king. So, ideally, I would like to try and make movies which are successful at the box office and entertaining and yet at the same time have content that people want to watch.
Do you think that regional films give you more scope to experiment as far as subjects go?
(Smiles) Look at my career. It is a specimen to my experimentation. I don’t think so. Cinema is cinema. And me being who I am, or anyone who attaches himself to any film, the reach is so much by sheer curiosity, you know. So it doesn’t matter. It is not that we are catering to a specific audience.
This time when you are down, is it going to be work or relaxation?
Work. I am coming for such a short time. I am working every day. I have so many prior commitments that I have to finish. I am working, but I will take about two-three days off.
What is the longest break you have taken this year?
Three or four days, I think.
All year! That’s it?
Yes. I have been through life as though it is a vacation, I feel. I don’t have a situation in my life where like I feel compelled to take a break. I am not tired and I don’t feel the need to take a break. I am not the kind who has ever needed time to recharge.
What is the quality in Hollywood that you would want Bollywood to adopt and what is the one B-Town quality you wish they’d adopt?
The one thing I will hope Hollywood would adopt from Hindi films, like… add a song in their movies.
So Robert Downey Jr shifted all of his furniture to his temporary home in Atlanta while filming Civil War. Considering you are there most of the time, is there a comfort zone you have recreated at your place there?
Oh God, yes! If you see my house here, it is almost an exact replica of my house in Bombay. It is pretty much the same thing, it is funny same floors, and everything. I take my stuff, it goes with me, pictures of my friends and family, my shoes give me comfort, my gadgets give me comfort. And it’s all here.
So much is spoken about your accent. What is your take on it?
My accent on the show?
Yes.
I am playing an American girl, so I have to have an American accent. Just like I was portraying Kashibai and I had a Marathi accent. My job as an actor is to do that. It is my job that it needs to translate on camera and that’s what I do. Yes I do have an American accent on the show but I am playing an American girl. If I play a Spanish girl next, I will have a Spanish accent.
How do you switch off? When you return to India and talk to people do you find yourself slipping into the American accent?
No. The way I am talking to you right now, I can get into my Indian accent as soon as I am done from work. But during the day while I am acting I have my American accent on. Actually it was the same during Bajirao also. During the day, I used to keep such a Maharashtrian tone when I spoke because I had to stay within that, otherwise I have my normal accent which is something I will always have. I don’t know what it is, it might be global by now.
Does marriage pop up in your conversations with your mom?
Not with my mother. My mom is very chill like that. She is someone who got married late in her life, concentrated on her career and education. She said I’ll do it when time comes.
Your reaction to being constantly compared to Deepika Padukone? It is always like your hero is bigger or her hero is bigger, or your appearance at an event is better than hers, at every point you are being compared to each other. Do you feel it’s justified?
We are in the business so comparison will always happen. It keeps the press mills warm. Which is fine. I mean people have to do what they have to do. I think she and I both have individually mentioned that we both are different people and we both have different choices and we are doing our own thing. I think it is very demeaning when actresses are always reduced to just fights and catfights and not getting along. People think that all we always want to do is pull each other down. Not at all. Of course when it comes to the work, there is always competitiveness and the same way boys have. Why is that always termed a Bromance and we are termed as cat-fighting? We are also professionals who know our jobs and take our careers very seriously. So I think we should be respected for that.
Billboards, magazine covers, red carpets of awards, you have done it all here and now you are doing it all there in the West. How is it different?
When I started off in India, I did not know why I was getting what I was getting into. Or why that was happening in my life. I was very young at that time. Now I am coming from the experience of… you know, 12-13 years in the movies and being part of one of the most prolific movie businesses in the world. So, now, I know my job. I have learnt from the best directors, best producers, directors and co-actors. I can walk onto a set in between ‘action’ and ‘cut’ and I know what I am doing. I am coming from a certain level of confidence. That’s the big difference, I guess.
Did you feel like a newcomer or did you have that whole been there-done that thing when you were doing it all over again?
A little bit of both. I used to have the whole newcomer thing. Like when you go to a different country culturally, you don’t understand a lot of things. So, sometimes I wouldn’t understand the jokes or I wouldn’t understand phrasing of culture references. But I wasn’t afraid to ask what it meant. There were times I didn’t know what was going on. But when it came to what I was doing on the set, I came from a place I know.
Did you enjoy it more then, because it was new or now that it is happening again on an international scale?
The newness of it was a little scary. I believe that the one thing that every artiste wants to do is grow and I have always wanted to evolve. And you know, every step of the evolution is different and this is extremely gratifying in its own way.
What’s the one thing you miss the most about being on a Bollywood film set?
Dancing. I was just telling that to one of my colleagues the other day. They were watching my song from Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela and then they were like, ‘this is so cool’ and I am like ‘Damn, I’m really missing this.’
You have been away for so long. On a scale of 1-10 how homesick are you?
Seven. But we are closing in for Christmas and New Year’s and I will be coming home in about 10 to 15 days.
You’ve always lived with your family except for a little while when you were studying. Was it easier back then?
It is never easier. We are used to always living with our family and living without them is really hard, for sure. But I have a lot of people with me. I have made a few friends for life. So it doesn’t feel as bad. In the beginning, it was bad and I used to get really homesick. I used to make my mom fly down each month…
What is the biggest misconception Hollywood has about our industry?
That we break into a song and dance for no reason. I feel terrible and it makes me very angry.
Which is true, right?
I don’t think so. I think our stories go forward.
Of course they do, but situations are created for song, even if there was no place for them…
(Cuts in) But it doesn’t matter. It is culturally who we are. Everything in India turns into a dance party whether it is World Cup, or you have a baby, everything is a dance party, that’s how we tell stories. Our cinema is in that presentation for the last 100 years. That is part of our industry. It is different.
Do you find yourself defending that to a lot to people?
I do. I don’t see it as a defence, I see it as an education. A lot of people — like my friends and colleagues — are very sweet when it comes to my films and my work and so many of them have watched it and have liked my films like Barfi! and have an understanding of what our industry and Hindi films are are about.
Have you faced any stereotype in the West?
I guess people who have been introduced to me by Quantico, kind of knew what I could do. When I walked in, I didn’t really face any stereotypes when I met my colleagues and people I worked with. But in everyday life, yes, I do face stereotypes, which are funny.
Like what?
Like you speak English so well. That’s a common one. On how I look Puerto Rican and not Indian and things like that. I think those are the common misconceptions which people here have within the industry. Other than that, I have been pleasantly surprised with the kind of love, affection and respect that I have got.
That “From India? But you speak English so well” has happened to me too!
I will tell you a funny statistic. We have 1.2 billion people in India and only 10 per cent of India speaks English. We have a huge population, we are more than most countries but not everyone speaks English. Which is fine. It is a choice. Our parents took this choice to educate us in English.
While you are in Hollywood, does the FOMO in Bollywood ever cross your mind?
All the time! Please. Hindi films are what I do. But I am an artiste, and I will go wherever my work takes me. The language doesn’t matter to me. English and Hindi are the same. What I miss really is the films and you know the luxury of filmmaking and language of filmmaking. I really enjoy that. Because in Hindi films there is such beauty and poetry to the way we tell stories. So yes of course I miss it.
Do you worry that Bollywood would not offer you roles that would otherwise come to you fearing that you will not come back?
If that happens, it would be unfortunate. It hasn’t happened yet. It is not something I worry about because I don’t see it happening. If it does, then like I said, evolution is the most natural part of being an artiste. Nothing speaks larger than the audience and till people want to watch me I am…(trails off).
Your Marathi film Ventilator was not a typical commercial fare. Yet it did really well. Do you feel you will be able to produce this kind of cinema in Hindi as well?
I am taking baby steps right now. I have to say I am very cautious as a filmmaker the same way I am cautious as an actor. I like to take risks, but I also want to be able to tell stories that I believe in, which I think will translate well into movies. I take care about what I attach my name to. I believe in box office. I have always believed in the business of filmmaking and entertainment, but box office is king. So, ideally, I would like to try and make movies which are successful at the box office and entertaining and yet at the same time have content that people want to watch.
Do you think that regional films give you more scope to experiment as far as subjects go?
(Smiles) Look at my career. It is a specimen to my experimentation. I don’t think so. Cinema is cinema. And me being who I am, or anyone who attaches himself to any film, the reach is so much by sheer curiosity, you know. So it doesn’t matter. It is not that we are catering to a specific audience.
This time when you are down, is it going to be work or relaxation?
Work. I am coming for such a short time. I am working every day. I have so many prior commitments that I have to finish. I am working, but I will take about two-three days off.
What is the longest break you have taken this year?
Three or four days, I think.
All year! That’s it?
Yes. I have been through life as though it is a vacation, I feel. I don’t have a situation in my life where like I feel compelled to take a break. I am not tired and I don’t feel the need to take a break. I am not the kind who has ever needed time to recharge.
What is the quality in Hollywood that you would want Bollywood to adopt and what is the one B-Town quality you wish they’d adopt?
The one thing I will hope Hollywood would adopt from Hindi films, like… add a song in their movies.
So Robert Downey Jr shifted all of his furniture to his temporary home in Atlanta while filming Civil War. Considering you are there most of the time, is there a comfort zone you have recreated at your place there?
Oh God, yes! If you see my house here, it is almost an exact replica of my house in Bombay. It is pretty much the same thing, it is funny same floors, and everything. I take my stuff, it goes with me, pictures of my friends and family, my shoes give me comfort, my gadgets give me comfort. And it’s all here.
So much is spoken about your accent. What is your take on it?
My accent on the show?
Yes.
I am playing an American girl, so I have to have an American accent. Just like I was portraying Kashibai and I had a Marathi accent. My job as an actor is to do that. It is my job that it needs to translate on camera and that’s what I do. Yes I do have an American accent on the show but I am playing an American girl. If I play a Spanish girl next, I will have a Spanish accent.
How do you switch off? When you return to India and talk to people do you find yourself slipping into the American accent?
No. The way I am talking to you right now, I can get into my Indian accent as soon as I am done from work. But during the day while I am acting I have my American accent on. Actually it was the same during Bajirao also. During the day, I used to keep such a Maharashtrian tone when I spoke because I had to stay within that, otherwise I have my normal accent which is something I will always have. I don’t know what it is, it might be global by now.
Does marriage pop up in your conversations with your mom?
Not with my mother. My mom is very chill like that. She is someone who got married late in her life, concentrated on her career and education. She said I’ll do it when time comes.
Your reaction to being constantly compared to Deepika Padukone? It is always like your hero is bigger or her hero is bigger, or your appearance at an event is better than hers, at every point you are being compared to each other. Do you feel it’s justified?
We are in the business so comparison will always happen. It keeps the press mills warm. Which is fine. I mean people have to do what they have to do. I think she and I both have individually mentioned that we both are different people and we both have different choices and we are doing our own thing. I think it is very demeaning when actresses are always reduced to just fights and catfights and not getting along. People think that all we always want to do is pull each other down. Not at all. Of course when it comes to the work, there is always competitiveness and the same way boys have. Why is that always termed a Bromance and we are termed as cat-fighting? We are also professionals who know our jobs and take our careers very seriously. So I think we should be respected for that.
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