Actress Priyanka Chopra, who made her film debut in the Tamil movie ‘Thamizhan’ and later in Hindi cinema with ‘The Hero: Love Story of a Spy’, revealed why she left Bollywood at the height of her career to pursue opportunities in Hollywood.

In a recent podcast, the former Miss World said she dislikes staying “in the shit” and believes in pivoting when life gets tough. “We all have battles, but I don’t like getting used to the smell,” she said. “I pick myself up, grieve, feel the pain and then pivot. I have done that many times in my career.”

Priyanka admitted she had no clear roadmap when she took the leap abroad. “There wasn’t much precedent. I just gave it a shot. I knew I was a hard worker and could hold my own with any filmmaker or co-actor,” she said.

She also cited a lack of Indian representation in global entertainment as a motivation. “In American pop culture, I had only seen people like Mindy Kaling and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Very few Indians, male or female, were working in Hollywood. I wanted to explore why and create more space for Indian talent,” Priyanka explained.

The actress, last seen in the Hindi film ‘The Sky Is Pink’ (2019), will return to Indian cinema with Mahesh Babu in SS Rajamouli’s pan-India project ‘Varanasi’(2027). She has also expanded into film production and appeared in international films including ‘Love Again’, ‘Tiger’ (2023), ‘Heads of State’ (2025), and ‘The Bluff’ (2026).

Priyanka Chopra’s journey reflects her drive to constantly challenge herself and broaden the global presence of Indian actors.

Source: NDTV