PRIYANKA Chopra has come a long way from winning Miss World in 2000.
The beautiful and exotic Indian started working in Hindi movies after winning the beauty pageant and has since become one of India’s most recognised faces.
After winning numerous awards, including the prestigious National Award for Best Actress, and playing versatile and challenging roles in movies, Chopra has embarked on a new journey.
Priyanka was signed to Universal Music Group and Interscope Records in 2011 for a worldwide music deal. Soon after, the actress-turned-singer became the first Hindi movie actress to be signed by Creative Artist Agency, who manages the movie careers of actors like Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz and Natalie Portman amongst many others.
The 31-year-old beauty has already released two singles, In My City featuring will.i.am and Exotic featuring Pitbull. She is also the voice of Ishani in Disney’s Planes, the number one film this week in the United Kingdom.
The actress spoke to our Bollywood Reporter Sunny Malik about Planes, movies, music and much more…
Congratulations on the super success of Planes in the UK. The film has beaten Kick-Ass 2 in Friday-Sunday collections at the Box Office. How do you feel about being part of a movie that is so successful here?
It’s so exciting that it’s the number one movie in the UK right now. Planes is my first animation movie and also my first English language film. I am super kicked about it. I have always loved Disney and their movies. I think every girl wanted to be a Disney princess at some point in their life. I wanted to be Tinkerbell, even though she is the fairy. This is the closest I have come to being a Disney princess and I am really happy about it.
You saw the film at the LA Premiere. What was your reaction to it when you saw the film for the first time?
I was really confused in the beginning when I heard my voice coming out from an animated character (laughs). I said “Woah, this is kind of weird” during the first scene but then of course, I got used to it when I saw the movie a couple of times. Then I associated my voice with Ishani more than myself.
Actors in India dub most of their scenes. How different was the experience of giving the voice-over for Ishani?
Well, the one thing that was very different was that when we do dubbings for Hindi movies, the scene and visual is played out in front of me and you match your voice. I didn’t have a visual of Ishani. I just knew that she is a plane and I knew what she may look like. They created Ishani based on my facial expressions and how I spoke those lines. She was literally a creation of what I did in that booth. That was a completely opposite process of what we do for Hindi movies.
Did you work on creating a special accent for Ishani?
No, that is how I speak.
You can speak in an American or British accent…
I can speak in any accent because I am an actor. With Ishani, I wanted to keep her the way I normally speak because she is Asian. I didn’t want to have an exaggerated Indian accent, which you usually hear in the representation of Indians in the west. When I lived in America during High School, I used to get very offended seeing those characters. I wanted to portray Ishani as a modern new age Indian. So, I just spoke the way I do.
Animation films are very successful in the west. Why do you think that they don’t work in India?
I think, because we don’t have a culture of animation films as much. When it comes to English language films, the language is a barrier anyway. I think the culture of animation films will be created in India. The Hindi movie industry is evolving a lot right now and going through a lot of changes. Slowly, animation films will be the next step.
Ishani has a mean side to her. A large section of the audience of animation films are children. Were you worried that they were going to dislike your character?
No, because she turns out good at the end (laughs). I don’t think she was mean but has a grey shade to her, which I liked about the film. The film isn’t preachy and doesn’t say that everyone has to be or can only be good in the world. You can make mistakes and rectify them. That is a great message that Ishani gives across because all of us are human and make mistakes. But eventually you can make your mistake okay if you have courage of conviction, which she does. I think that is a great virtue. That’s what I loved about the character when I did the movie.
You are now an international recording artist as well but Planes came to you about three years ago. The director, Klay Hall, reportedly saw you in Karan Johar’s Dostana.
Yes, that’s what Klay told me later. I didn’t even know that. I read it in an interview myself. He never told me (laughs). They just approached me for the character of Ishani. I read the script and decided to do it. It was just one of those things. After Dostana I would have expected a Bond movie and I got an animation film (laughs).
Planes also features an A.R. Rahman song, Tere Bina, from Guru. Was that your idea?
It is one of my favourite songs but no, it wasn’t my idea. It was Klay’s idea. He had heard the song somewhere. When he showed me the scene, I told him that it was the best choice he could make because it is one of the best scenes in the movie. It’s so romantic and beautiful. There is the Taj Mahal, the song from Guru, a sunset and birds flying, it’s just perfect.
You also sang a song for the film which is not in the movie…
That was a promotional song. We had four promotional videos which introduced the main characters of the film and for mine, I recorded this song.
You have been promoting your music in the US. When will you be promoting it in the UK?
Interscope has a different strategy for the United Kingdom. Like they say, ‘save the best for the last’ (laughs). Once we finish promotions in the United States, we will come to the UK with a different plan for my music.
You have been signed by Creative Artist Agency for film related work in the US. What kind of films have you been offered and what kind of films do you want to be a part of?
I have been very particular about the kind of films I do. I am an actor and I do all kind of movies from every part of the world. My next film Zanjeer is also being made in Telegu. So, I have just done a Telegu film, a Hollywood film and I am also doing Hindi films. Language, culture or countries are no barriers for me. I love my job but I am very particular about the films I do. They are very instinctive for me. Whatever has come forward so far has not really excited me because I like parts that challenge me and at the same time are in films that can be blockbuster movies. I don’t know but let me see. I am doing so much work right now. I have four films up for release at the moment and I am working on two more plus an album. I have also had my second single release last month. I am in no rush. We will see.
How do you manage to do so much?
You don’t sleep much (laughs). It’s hard to manage two careers but I my work is my worship. It’s the one thing I know how to do the best.
You will be seen in UK cinemas next month in Zanjeer. Can you tell us a little bit about the film?
Zanjeer releases on 6th September. It’s Apoorva’s tribute to the original Zanjeer (starring Amitabh Bachchan). It stars Ram Charan and I am really excited about it. I play an NRI Gujrati girl from New York who comes to India for a wedding and witnesses a murder. That’s how she gets involved in this action-packed movie. The music of the film is amazing. There is a song called Pinky, a really fun song which I perform at the Sangeet ceremony. I hope people enjoy the film.
‘Planes’ is on nationwide release now
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