- By Sukanya Saha
- Thu, 20 Apr 2023 02:26 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Priyanka Chopra believes in the strength of community. The actress, who is now eagerly anticipating the release of her spy-action series Citadel on Prime Video, has expressed her feeling of validation as the lead of the show, stating that it took a lot of effort to obtain the opportunity after facing rejection many times.
Priyanka Chopra had a thriving career in the Hindi film industry for over a decade before venturing into Hollywood. She faced a tough time initially, as she felt that the West was not interested in casting someone with her skin tone in lead roles. However, today, Priyanka is set to star in Citadel, a project produced by Joe and Anthony Russo, alongside Richard Madden, who rose to fame after starring in Game of Thrones.
In a recent interview with The Indian Express, Priyanka expressed her sense of validation stating that it took a lot of effort and perseverance to get to this point. She highlights that only a few Indian actors have had the chance to lead a project in Hollywood and hopes that this will change in the future.
"We have seen a few Indian actors play lead roles in the past, Aishwarya Rai, Deepika, we have seen Irrfan. But you can count on your fingers, and these are Indian actors from India. If you talk about Indian Americans there is Mindy, Simone Ashley, Aziz. But there are just a few of us, a smattering. So, it feels really great, feels like maine humare logon ke liye kiya hai, ye humne kiya hai (I have achieved it for Indian people, we have done it for our people)."
Chopra pledges to support Indian talent in Hollywood and ensure they receive the necessary backing and encouragement, which she herself didn't receive when she started her journey. She plans to provide a platform for talented individuals who have the skills but lack opportunities. Priyanka intends to create an "influx" of such talent in Hollywood.
"I really have a goal of wanting to influx English language entertainment with brown faces, in front and behind the camera. We come from one of the most prolific film industries in the world, we make more than a thousand movies a year, we have the technical knowledge, we have the acumen, we know what to do on a film set. Why don’t we have more opportunities?
"Now that I have a little bit of a foothold, as a producer also that’s a big part of my quest, my company does that, I have a first look deal with Amazon Prime, and a lot of what we are producing and a lot of films we are attaching with have Indian filmmakers in front of and behind the camera, writers, directors. That's really a dream of mine, because it was a big struggle when I started."
Priyanka stars as Nadia Sinh, an elite spy in Citadel, alongside Richard Madden as Mason Kane. The show features Priyanka performing in large-scale action scenes that were traditionally reserved for male actors. Priyanka believes that the reason why female actors were not given such roles earlier was because of the patriarchal system. However, actresses such as Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, and Kangana Ranaut have contributed to bringing about change in this regard in Hindi cinema.
"It is a thick glass ceiling. But I think my generation of actresses, there are many of them, that have helped knock that ceiling down in Hindi cinema. Actors like Deepika, Katrina, Kangana, who have done incredible action and look amazing while doing it. It took them demanding that, it took a generation of actors before us to fight for it and that happens with every generation.
"Today, you are seeing for example me as a lead on a show and I am doing stunts that you would see a hero do or action mounted where you would have seen a hero do. So, watch it, make it easier for the next generation of actresses because now they aren't scared. Filmmakers will say, 'Oh, this can happen.' Possibility is there. When you have a new idea and you are pushing against a system, someone has to do it for the first time. One person does it, then four people do it. Suddenly it is a community," she added.