Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra (born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000. During her career, Chopra has received a National Film Award and four Filmfare Awards.

Making her acting debut with the 2002 Tamil film Thamizhan, Chopra made her Bollywood film debut with The Hero in 2003 and followed it with the hit Andaaz, for which she won a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She subsequently earned critical acclaim for her performance in Aitraaz, and later appeared in the commercially successful projects: Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Krrish (2006) and Don (2006). The year 2008 marked the beginning of a new phase in Chopra's career as her portrayal of a troubled model in Fashion earned her a National Film Award, as well as the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She was later noted for her performances in Kaminey (2009), What's Your Raashee? (2009) and 7 Khoon Maaf (2011), which garnered her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress. Having done so, Chopra established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses in Bollywood.

Early life and pageantry

Priyanka Chopra was born on 18 July 1982, in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India to Capt. Dr. Ashok Chopra and Dr. Madhu Chopra, both physicians by profession in the Indian Army. Her father hails from a family of Punjabi origin, settled in Ambala district in the state of Haryana and her mother, from a Bihari Kayastha family settled in Jamshedpur. She also has a brother, Siddharth, who is seven years younger than her. Actress Parineeti Chopra is her cousin. Chopra had a very varied upbringing. Since her father was in the Army, her family frequently moved from one city to another during her schooling days. In an interview with Daily News and Analysis, Chopra said that she didn't mind moving around and shifting schools. She welcomed it as a new experience and imbibed the ethos of the multicultural Indian society. Places where she lived as a child include Jamshedpur, Delhi, Pune, Lucknow, Bareli, Ladakh, Chandigarh and Ambala.

Acting career

Priyanka Chopra made her debut in the 2002 Tamil film Thamizhan playing the role of Priya, the love interest of the protagonist in the film played by Vijay. The film was praised for its wit, although the depth of Chopra's character was seen as lacking. In 2003, she appeared in her first Bollywood film, opposite Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta in the Anil Sharma film The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. She played a supporting role as a doctor named Shaheen in the film that The New York Times described as "ripping its text from the seething border tensions between India and Pakistan, spicing its conflict with hot-tempered religious zealots bent on nuclear havoc". Despite being one of the highest grossing films of that year, the overall film was not well received by critics. Chopra was awarded mostly good reviews for her debut Hindi performance. Later that year she appeared in Raj Kanwar's Andaaz, playing the character of Jiya who falls in love with Raj Malhotra, played by Akshay Kumar. The film was a success at the box office, earning her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award and a nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. Ashish Magotra writing for Rediff.com said of her role, "Priyanka Chopra alone clicks with the audience, thanks to her skimpy outfits."

In early 2012, Chopra became the first Bollywood actor to be signed by Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a prominent entertainment and sports agency headquartered in Los Angeles. The agency will handle her acting career in Hollywood. Her first release of the year was Karan Johar's Agneepath alongside Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt and Rishi Kapoor. The film was a remake of the 1990 classic of the same name. Upon release, the film broke the highest opening day collections record and became a critical and commercial success. Her performance in the film was appreciated by most critics. Mayank Shekhar noted, "Chopra stands out in a male-centric movie." Komal Nahta wrote, "Chopra shines in a comparatively short role. She makes the character of Kaali very endearing. Her dances are extremely graceful and she shines in emotional scenes." Her next release was Kunal Kohli's Teri Meri Kahaani, a love story set in three different eras. The film opened to mixed reactions from critics, however Chopra's performance and her chemistry with co-star Shahid Kapoor received good reviews. Sonia Chopra of Sify wrote, "Priyanka delivers a superb performance easily slipping in-and-out of the layered characters with dexterity." Taran Adarsh commented, "As the spirited Aradhana of 1910, the dazzling movie star Rukhsar of 1960, or the joyful Radha of 2012, Priyanka is a complete livewire in each of the acts. On a personal level, I liked her the most as Aradhana, a full-on Punjabi girl who's vivacious and bubbly." However, despite the positive critical acclaim, the film failed to do well at the Indian box office, although was a moderate success in the overseas markets.

Chopra's next release will be Deewana Main Deewana, which was actually filmed four years ago, but was delayed until 28 September 2012. She is currently filming Krrish 3 alongside Hrithik Roshan, Vivek Oberoi and Kangna Ranaut in which she is respring her role of Priya. The film is a sequel to the 2006 superhero film Krrish. She has also signed Apoorva Lakhia's Zanjeer opposite Ram Charan Teja, who is making his Bollywood debut. It is a remake of the 1973 film of the same name.

Personal life

Chopra does not come from a film background and is proud to announce herself as a self made woman, however, does not shy away from praising her family who provided her with much needed emotional support and care. She is extremely close to her family and is grateful that her family has sacrificed a lot for her. In an interview with The Express Tribune she explained that her journey has been a learning experience. "I am somebody who came to the film industry without knowing anyone. Everything I have learned is my own. I have fallen, bruised myself so I take a lot of pride in it," she said. Although known for her media friendly attitude, Chopra has always been evasive about her personal life. "I won't reveal everything about myself. That's the most amazing part about interacting. I can say what I want to say, but one thing that I haven't done and never will is talking about my personal life. That is something I don't believe in talking about." However, she has maintained that when there's an announcement worth making, she will talk. She lives with her dog named Brando.