Priyanka Chopra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Priyanka Chopra
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Chopra Jonas in 2024
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| Born | 18 July 1982 Jamshedpur, Bihar, India
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| Years active | 2002–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Title | Miss World 2000 |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Chopra family Jonas family |
| Awards | Full list |
| Honours | Padma Shri (2016) |
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Priyanka Chopra Jonas (born 18 July 1982) is a famous Indian actress and producer. She won the Miss World 2000 beauty pageant. Priyanka is one of India's most successful actresses and has won many awards. These include two National Film Awards and five Filmfare Awards.
In 2016, the Government of India gave her the Padma Shri, a special award for her contributions to art. Time magazine also named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world that year. Later, Forbes listed her among the World's 100 Most Powerful Women. In 2022, she was part of the BBC 100 Women list.
After winning Miss World, Priyanka started her acting career in Indian films. Her first movie was the Tamil film Thamizhan (2002). She then made her Bollywood debut in The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003). She starred in popular movies like Andaaz (2003) and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004). Her big breakthrough role was in the thriller Aitraaz (2004). Priyanka became a top actress with leading roles in Krrish and Don (both 2006), and their sequels. She won a National Film Award and a Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her role in Fashion (2008). She also received praise for her roles in films like Barfi! (2012) and Mary Kom (2014).
From 2015 to 2018, Priyanka starred in the American TV series Quantico. She was the first South Asian actress to lead an American network drama. In 2015, she started her own production company, Purple Pebble Pictures. Through this company, she produced several films, including Ventilator (2016) and The Sky Is Pink (2019), which she also starred in. She has also appeared in Hollywood movies like Baywatch (2017) and The Matrix Resurrections (2021). More recently, she starred in the action series Citadel (2023).
Priyanka has also released three music singles and written a memoir called Unfinished (2021). This book became a New York Times Best Seller. She has also invested in tech companies, launched a haircare brand, and opened a restaurant. Priyanka is a strong supporter of social causes like protecting the environment and women's rights. She has worked with UNICEF since 2006 and became a global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for child rights in 2016. Her foundation helps underprivileged children in India with health and education. Priyanka is married to American singer and actor Nick Jonas. They have one daughter.
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Early Life and Childhood
Priyanka Chopra was born on 18 July 1982 in Jamshedpur, India. Her parents, Ashok and Madhu Chopra, were both doctors in the Indian Army. Her father was from Ambala, and her mother was from Jharkhand.
Priyanka's maternal grandmother was a Christian from Kerala. Priyanka has a younger brother named Siddharth. Famous Bollywood actresses Parineeti Chopra, Meera Chopra, and Mannara Chopra are her cousins.
Because her parents were army doctors, Priyanka's family moved around a lot in India. They lived in places like Delhi, Chandigarh, Ladakh, and Bareilly. She attended different schools, including La Martiniere Girls' School.
Priyanka enjoyed moving and changing schools. She saw it as a chance to experience different parts of India. She especially loved playing in the valleys of Leh when she was a child. She said, "I think I was in Class 4 when I was in Leh. My brother was just born. My dad was in the army and was posted there. I stayed in Leh for a year, and my memories of that place are tremendous." She now considers Bareilly her hometown.
When she was 13, Priyanka moved to the United States to study. She lived with her aunt and went to schools in Newton, Massachusetts, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. While in Massachusetts, she took part in school plays and studied music. During her teenage years in the US, Priyanka faced some challenges, including being bullied for being Indian. After three years, she returned to India and finished high school in Bareilly.
During this time, Priyanka won a local beauty pageant called May Queen. Her mother then entered her in the Femina Miss India contest in 2000. She came in second, winning the Femina Miss India World title. After that, Priyanka won the Miss World pageant in London on 30 November 2000. She was the fifth Indian contestant to win Miss World. She had started college but left after winning the Miss World title. Priyanka said that these titles helped her become known and led to offers for film roles.
Acting Career Highlights
Early Roles and Big Break (2002–2004)
After winning Miss India World, Priyanka was cast in the Tamil film Thamizhan (2002). This was her first movie role. In 2003, she made her Bollywood debut in The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. She played a main role alongside Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta. The film was one of the highest-grossing Bollywood movies that year.
Later in 2003, she appeared in the successful film Andaaz with Akshay Kumar. Her performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. In 2004, she starred in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, which was a big commercial success.
Later in 2004, Priyanka starred in the romantic thriller Aitraaz. She played a challenging role as a woman who falsely accuses a former lover. This film was a big success and changed her career. Critics praised her performance. She won a Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role for this movie.
Rising to Stardom (2005–2006)
In 2005, Priyanka appeared in six films. Her first two, Blackmail and Karam, were not very successful. However, her role in Karam was well-received. Later that year, she played the wife of Akshay Kumar in Waqt: The Race Against Time. This film was liked by critics and did well at the box office.
In 2006, Priyanka starred in the superhero film Krrish, a sequel to Koi... Mil Gaya. She played a young journalist who falls in love with the hero, played by Hrithik Roshan. Krrish was the second-highest-grossing film of the year in India and a huge success worldwide.
Her last film of 2006 was Don, an action-thriller remake. She played the role of Roma, who joins the underworld to get revenge. Priyanka trained in martial arts for this role and did her own stunts. Don was a big success in India and overseas. Critics praised her performance, saying she was convincing as an action heroine.
Challenges and Comeback (2007–2008)
In 2007, Priyanka's films Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love and Big Brother were not successful. In 2008, she starred in several films that also did not do well, like Love Story 2050 and Drona. Many thought her career was in trouble at this point.
However, her career turned around with Fashion. This drama was about the Indian fashion industry. Priyanka played Meghna Mathur, an ambitious supermodel. She had to gain and lose weight for the role as her character changed in the film. Both the film and her acting received great reviews. Critics said it was her best performance yet. She won many awards, including the National Film Award for Best Actress and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Fashion was a commercial success, especially because it was a film focused on women without a male lead.
Priyanka's last film of 2008 was the romantic comedy Dostana. She played a stylish fashion-magazine editor. The film was a financial success. Her performance and look in the film were also praised.
Exploring Different Roles (2009–2011)
In 2009, Priyanka played a strong Marathi woman named Sweety in the thriller Kaminey. The film was praised by critics and did well at the box office. Critics said she completely reinvented herself in this role.
She then appeared in What's Your Raashee?, where she played 12 different characters, each linked to a zodiac sign. This was a very demanding role. In 2010, she starred in the romantic comedy Pyaar Impossible! and later in Anjaana Anjaani.
In 2011, Priyanka starred in the black comedy 7 Khoon Maaf. She played Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes, a woman who murders her seven husbands in search of love. Her performance received high praise from critics. One critic called it "a milestone in Chopra's career graph." She won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for this role.
Priyanka's last film of 2011 was Don 2, where she played Roma again. Her performance was well-received. Don 2 was a big success in India and overseas.
Continued Success (2012–2014)
Priyanka's first film of 2012 was the action drama Agneepath, starring with Hrithik Roshan. She played his love interest. Agneepath broke opening-day earnings records and was a huge worldwide success.
Her final film of 2012 was Barfi!. She played Jhilmil Chatterjee, an autistic woman who falls in love with a deaf and mute man. To prepare, Priyanka visited mental institutions and spent time with autistic people. The film was highly praised and a major commercial success. Critics called her performance "the best representation of [autism] on Indian celluloid."
In 2013, she voiced the character Ishaani in the Disney film Planes. She also appeared in Zanjeer, which was not successful. She reprised her role in Krrish 3, which became her biggest commercial success at that time.
In 2014, Priyanka starred in the romantic action drama Gunday. She played a cabaret dancer. The film was a box-office success. She then starred as the main character in Mary Kom, a biographical film about the world boxing champion Mary Kom. Priyanka trained for four months in boxing for this role. The film received positive reviews, and her performance was highly praised. Mary Kom was a commercial success. She won the Screen Award for Best Actress for this role.
American Film and TV Ventures (2015–2019)
In 2015, Priyanka starred in Dil Dhadakne Do, a comedy-drama about a family on a cruise. She played Ayesha Mehra, a successful businesswoman.
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She then signed a deal with ABC Studios and was cast in the American thriller series Quantico as Alex Parrish. This made her the first South Asian to lead an American network drama. Critics praised her performance, calling her "charismatic and commanding." She won two People's Choice Awards for her role, becoming the first South Asian actress to do so. Quantico ran for three seasons until 2018.
Priyanka also played Kashibai in the historical drama Bajirao Mastani. Her performance received widespread praise, with many calling it her best to date. The film was a huge commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role.
In 2017, Priyanka made her Hollywood live-action film debut as the villain Victoria Leeds in Baywatch. While the film received mixed reviews, critics often highlighted her performance. She also appeared in the drama A Kid Like Jake (2018) and the comedy Isn't It Romantic (2019).
She returned to Hindi cinema in 2019 with The Sky Is Pink. She played the mother of a teenager with a terminal illness. She also produced the film. Critics found her performance "extraordinary," but the film did not do well at the box office.
Streaming Projects and Future Films (2020–Present)
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In 2020, Priyanka signed a deal with Amazon Prime Video to support films by new filmmakers. Her only release that year was the Netflix superhero film We Can Be Heroes. She played Ms. Granada, the director of a superhero organization.
Her first film of 2021 was The White Tiger, a Netflix production. She also helped produce this film. Critics praised the film and her performance. Later that year, she had a supporting role in The Matrix Resurrections.
In 2023, Priyanka starred in the Amazon Prime Video action thriller series Citadel. This was the first time in her career that she received equal pay with her male co-star. She performed many of her own stunts in the show. She then led the romantic comedy Love Again.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas will next star in the action films Heads of State and The Bluff.
Music Career
Priyanka's father inspired her interest in singing. Her first recording was a song in her Tamil film Thamizhan (2002). In 2011, Universal Music Group signed her to a worldwide recording deal.
In July 2012, she became the first Bollywood star signed by Creative Artists Agency. Her first single, "In My City", was released in September 2012. It featured rapper will.i.am. The song was a commercial success in India, selling over 130,000 copies in its first week. In October 2012, she won the Best International Debut award at the People's Choice Awards India for this song.
In July 2013, Priyanka released her second single, "Exotic", featuring American rapper Pitbull. Her third single, a cover of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me", was released in April 2014.
Priyanka's first song as a playback singer in Bollywood was "Chaoro" from Mary Kom (2014). In 2015, she sang the title song for Dil Dhadakne Do as a duet with Farhan Akhtar. She later said that her music career "was not living up to my standards" and she stopped pursuing it.
Philanthropy and Social Work
Priyanka supports many good causes through her foundation, "The Priyanka Chopra Foundation for Health and Education." This foundation helps underprivileged children in India with education and health. She gives 10% of her earnings to her foundation and pays for the education and medical care of 70 children in India, mostly girls.
Priyanka believes in feminism and often speaks about women's rights, gender equality, and the gender pay gap. In 2006, a "day with Chopra" was auctioned to raise money for Nanhi Kali, an organization that helps educate girls in India. She has also supported other charities, like the HELP! Telethon Concert for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
She has worked with UNICEF since 2006, promoting children's rights and girls' education. She was appointed as the national UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights in 2010. In 2009, she filmed a documentary to raise awareness about leprosy. She also supported the "Save the Girl Child" campaign to change attitudes towards girls in India.
Priyanka supports environmental charities and is an ambassador for NDTV Greenathon. This initiative promotes eco-friendliness and provides solar power to villages without electricity. She adopted a tigress in 2011 and a lioness in 2012 at a biological park, paying for their care. To promote organ donation, Priyanka pledged to donate her own organs after death.
She donated money to build a cancer ward at Nanavati hospital, named after her late father. In 2013, she provided voice-overs for the documentary film Girl Rising. She also spoke at the World Leaders Conference in Boston about women empowerment through education.
In 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose Priyanka to help with the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a national cleanliness campaign. She helped clean a neighborhood in Mumbai and urged people to keep their surroundings clean.
In 2015, she voiced a robotic elephant named "Ellie" for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Ellie visited schools to teach kids about elephants and captivity. Priyanka was appointed as the global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in December 2016. She received the Power of Women award and the Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice for her charity work. In 2019, she received the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award from UNICEF.
In 2019, Priyanka teamed up with UNICEF and Crocs to donate 50,000 pairs of shoes to school children in Belize. In April 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic in India, Priyanka and her husband Nick Jonas started a fundraiser. They raised over $1 million for oxygen supply and COVID-19 care in India.
Other Ventures
Film Production and Business
Priyanka started her production company, Purple Pebble Pictures, to make small films and help new talent in the Indian film industry. Her first Marathi film, Ventilator (2016), was a success and won three awards. She has produced several regional Indian films, including Paani (2019), which won an award for its message on environment conservation.
In 2018, Priyanka started investing in tech companies. She invested in a coding education startup and the dating app Bumble. She helped launch the Bumble app in India. In 2021, she launched her haircare line called "Anamoly Haircare." In March 2021, Priyanka opened her restaurant Sona in Manhattan, which serves Indian food.
TV Hosting and Live Shows
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In 2007, Priyanka was a judge for the Miss India pageant. She also judged Miss World 2009. In 2010, she hosted the reality show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi. She performed many of her own stunts on the show. The show was very popular and earned her an award for her TV debut. In 2016, Priyanka presented an award at the 88th Academy Awards.
Priyanka has performed in many world tours and concerts. She took part in "Temptations 2004" with other Bollywood actors. In 2012, she performed at the opening ceremony of the fifth season of cricket's Indian Premier League. She also performed at the Ahlan Bollywood Concert in Dubai. In 2021, Priyanka and her husband Nick Jonas announced the nominees for the 93rd Academy Awards.
Writing
Priyanka started writing an opinion column for the Hindustan Times newspaper in 2009. She wrote 50 columns in total. She said writing helped her express her inner thoughts. In 2012, she wrote a column for The Times of India about women's safety in cities.
Later, Priyanka wrote an article for The New York Times about the importance of education for girls. She praised Nobel Peace Prize winners Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi. In 2014, she started writing a monthly column for Elle magazine.
In February 2021, Priyanka published her first memoir called Unfinished. The book was praised for being open and honest. It became a New York Times Best Seller in the United States.
Personal Life
Priyanka is very close to her family, including her younger brother, Siddharth. She lives in an apartment on the same floor as her family. She was especially close to her father, who passed away in June 2013. In 2012, she got a tattoo that says "Daddy's lil girl" in his handwriting. Priyanka describes herself as a self-made woman because she did not come from a film background. Her mother, a doctor, stopped her own practice to support Priyanka's acting career.
Priyanka is a practicing Hindu and performs a daily puja (prayer ritual) at a small shrine in her home. She likes to keep her personal life private. Priyanka started dating American singer and actor Nick Jonas in May 2018. Nick proposed to her in July 2018. They got engaged in August 2018 in Mumbai. In December 2018, Priyanka and Nick got married in Jodhpur, India, with both traditional Hindu and Christian ceremonies. After marriage, Priyanka legally changed her full name to "Priyanka Chopra Jonas." In January 2022, they welcomed a baby girl named Malti Marie Chopra Jonas, born via surrogacy.
Awards and Recognitions
Priyanka Chopra has won many awards for her acting. She won a National Film Award for Best Actress for Fashion (2008). She has also won five Filmfare Awards: Best Female Debut for Andaaz (2003), Best Performance in a Negative Role for Aitraaz (2004), Best Actress for Fashion (2008), Critics Award for Best Actress for 7 Khoon Maaf (2011), and Best Supporting Actress for Bajirao Mastani (2015).
She has also won two People's Choice Awards for her role in Quantico: "Favourite Actress In A New TV Series" and "Favorite Dramatic TV Actress". She is the first South Asian actress to win a People's Choice Award. In 2016, the Government of India honored her with the Padma Shri, which is the fourth highest civilian award in India, for her contributions to arts. In 2022, she was also recognized as one of the BBC 100 Women.
See also
In Spanish: Priyanka Chopra para niños
- Indians in the New York City metropolitan region
- List of Priyanka Chopra performances
