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Priyanka Chopra Jonas opens up on her struggle to find her place in Bollywood: 'Industry was extremely closed off to people coming from outside'
Priyanka Chopra opens up about her journey as an outsider in Bollywood, the challenges she faced, and how those experiences inspired her to launch her own production house.
Global star Priyanka Chopra recently opened up about her early days in Bollywood and how her experience as an outsider shaped her career choices. Speaking at an event, Priyanka shared that the Hindi film industry was “extremely closed off” to people who did not come from film families, which motivated her to set up her own production house, Purple Pebble Pictures, in 2015.
Priyanka Chopra on breaking into Bollywood
Priyanka Chopra recalled that her entry into the entertainment industry began after she won a beauty pageant in 2000. “That sort of kickstarted me into the entertainment industry and catapulted me into it. I started working in Indian movies, Hindi and Tamil movies in India…This was in 2002, but the Bollywood industry is kind of…was at least extremely closed off to people coming from outside,” she said.
The actor pointed out that the industry had many “generational actors, generational directors, generational producers,” which made it difficult for newcomers without connections, as per Hindustan Times. “So when you want to break into the industry and get cast, it wasn't the easiest, but somehow I broke through. I was ambitious. I don't like failing. I was persistent. I kept at it. I made it somehow,” she added.
Why Priyanka Chopra started Purple Pebble Pictures
Priyanka explained that her struggles pushed her to create a space for others through her production house. “When I did, Purple Pebble Pictures was my way of creating that space that I never had,” she said. She further added that the goal was to provide opportunities to filmmakers and writers who might not get access to big-budget projects. “I wanted to be the shoulder for entertainers around the world to be able to get the limelight that they want,” she shared.
Here’s how Purple Pebble Pictures made an impact: The company began with the 2016 Bhojpuri film Bam Bam Bol Raha Hai Kashi. It later produced Ventilator, which won three National Awards. Priyanka also backed films like Pahuna: The Little Visitors (2018) and Paani (2019), which won the National Film Award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation. Over the years, she has produced films in Bhojpuri, Marathi, Punjabi, Assamese, Nepali, and English. She also co-produced and starred in The Sky Is Pink and The White Tiger.
Last year, Priyanka’s mother Madhu Chopra revealed that Purple Pebble Pictures has now shifted its operations to the United States.
On the work front, Priyanka has wrapped the second season of Citadel and will soon be seen in Frank E. Flowers’ action drama The Bluff. She is also making her comeback to Indian cinema with SS Rajamouli’s highly anticipated film SSMB 29, co-starring Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran. The film, described as an action-adventure, is currently in production.
