 "Priyanka Chopra is destiny's child")
In retrospect, Priyanka Chopra's 2013 pop track set in Miami Beach and featuring rapper Pitbull could easily have been the pitch that led to her recent big break. The Bollywood actress-turned-singer who crooned about being "exotic" and "hotter than the tropics" has emerged two years later as the newest find in US television's growing bid for diversity.
While the former Miss World has done more than 40 Bollywood films, she was an unfamiliar face in the United States, encouraging the makers of American Broadcasting Company (ABC) primetime show, Quantico, to pick her as the lead character. This is a first for an Indian star.
The journey to Chopra's international TV debut really began when she and her manager, Anjula Acharia-Bath, met ABC's head of casting and talent, Keli Lee, at a party. ABC is previously known to have launched stars like Sofia Vergara and Sandra Oh. Lee's efforts have also brought to light such diverse names as Lupita Nyong'o, the breakout star of the film 12 Years a Slave (2013), and Gina Rodriguez, the star of the telenovela-style show Jane the Virgin.
When Lee talked of his finds, Acharia-Bath reportedly pointed out the lack of a South Asian among them, adding: "We are one-fifth of the population." After watching a few of Chopra's films, ABC officials were keen to either develop a show for her or cast her in projects already underway.
Such decisions make business sense for the US networks as around 40 per cent of the country's population belongs to ethnic minorities. According to a UCLA report, TV comedies and dramas with a diverse cast excel in ratings.
Talking over the phone at 7.30 am from Montreal, where the series is being filmed, the 33-year-old seems sleepy and tired but warm. Her speech still has the intonation of a beauty queen. Chopra underplays the diversity card, saying instead that the cast was selected based on "who was best for the job". She went through 26 scripts before choosing the FBI drama Quantico.
Indeed, while Chopra adds to ABC's repertoire of actors of various ethnicities, her role on the show is not caricaturish. Her character is named Alex Parrish and is part-Indian. According to Joshua Safran, executive producer of the show, he imagined Parrish as a smart and determined FBI trainee who has been hardened by adversity, specifically the death of her father. "She is tough and courageous but probably more pessimist than optimist," he says.
The American network has invested heavily in her face with posters and billboards covering cities in the United States and Canada. Naturally, Safran is full of applause. When Chopra walked in for her first audition, everyone in the room perked up and paid attention, he says. "I did not know who she was, but I could tell that she was important. She carried herself like a star and brought grace, pride, and professionalism into the room with her."
Her preparation for Hindi action films like Don and Mary Kom helped her be in shape for Quantico, says Chopra. Before the series was shot, she trained in basic FBI skills like handling guns and clearing rooms. She also had to work on understanding the body language, voice and accent.
Chopra's "cross-border appeal" and "sensuality" are what prompted Indian luxury chocolate brand Schmitten to rope her in as its ambassador two years ago. Her "multi-faceted persona, style quotient, talent and effortless charm" made Pernod Ricard associate her with the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour.
It could have added the readiness to experiment with new roles. There is evident variety in Chopra's recent choice of roles, which include an autistic girl, a boxer and a tough cop. Her filmography is not without bumps though: while praised for Barfi and Mary Kom, she was panned for duds Zanjeer and Gunday.
Rather than search for a formula for success, Chopra says she depends on instincts while picking projects. "I am a big consumer of entertainment so I choose roles based on - would I want to watch this? And sometimes, just as we do while watching, one ends up picking the wrong thing also."
On screen, she has a sincerity that is extremely contagious, says Karan Malhotra who directed her in Agneepath (2012). "Whether the film does well or not, she stands out." Omung Kumar, who directed Mary Kom, agrees. "She was required to build muscle and because she was doing other films in between, she did it twice over."
Training for Mary Kom began days after Chopra's father, Ashok Chopra, died in June 2013. Samir Jaura, the man behind Farhan Akhtar's sculpted body in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, travelled with her for five months, helping her develop the toned physique of a boxer. Chopra, who was not a gym regular previously, was put on a low-carb, high-protein diet and trained for two to three hours daily.
This focus was visible early.
Chopra, after spending about three years in Boston, enrolled into class XI at this school. (She is said to have chosen to study in the US because she did not have to wear school uniform there.)
Shikha Saxena, vice-principal of the school, remembers Chopra as a "polite, affectionate" student and shares stories from her teenage years as if they are well-known fables. "She would often give a lift to any of the housekeeping staff if she was in her car to school and saw them walking."
A small classroom has about 40 students, a platform for the teacher's desk and blackboard. This is VI B. When Rajeev Gupta, the coordinator, tells the students that this is where Chopra studied, there is an expected surge of excitement, especially from the young girls.
When a student asks Gupta what she should do if her friends didn't believe this detail about Chopra's classroom, Gupta says authoritatively, "You ask them to come see me." Chopra seems to instill a sense of unprecedented pride even in teachers who never taught her.
This pride seems to wane a little when Pushpa Kanyal, in-charge of discipline, speaks about Chopra. "I would see her from a distance and know that she had shortened her skirt again," she laughs. After her time in Boston, Chopra found the restrictions of a strict Army school difficult to navigate. "She was always the one with the most stylish hair and painted nails. She seemed cut out for her profession right from the start."
This was the charm that Chopra's Army family also saw in her. Inside a formidable secretary's office at the Bareilly Club, Chandra Pal Singh Rathore's face breaks into a sardonic smile when I mention the May Queen Ball of 1999. "There were few participants that year, so we went around encouraging young women to participate. Chopra first declined because she said she was not prepared," says Rathore. "I told her to wash her face and get onto the stage. She hasn't looked back since that evening."
In spite of Quantico, Chopra hasn't shut the doors on Bollywood. "I adore Bollywood," she says, in a manner that makes Bollywood sounds a bit like a puppy with a limp. "I get withdrawal symptoms if I don't do a song for two months."
She defends Bollywood, insisting that actors now have a longer shelf life than before and female actors are getting exciting work. Apart from the upcoming Bajirao Mastani and Jai Gangajal, some project announcements are around the corner, she adds, without going into the details.
Indeed, the actress has been busier than ever in the last few years. Musical ambitions first took her to America. While the single "In My City", in collaboration with Will.I.Am, was a part of NFL's Thursday Night Kickoff, her songs have not created waves. But around the time, she also became the first Indian poster-girl for Guess.
Since then, she has been dividing time between India and North America. In addition to her multiple flats in Andheri, she has reportedly rented a luxury apartment in Montreal. TEAM P.C., her entourage on international trips, reportedly consists of 11 people. "When we walk into a room it is like Ocean's 12," she told The New York Times. Once the director calls "cut", she tends to jest and invite people to share ghee-rich Punjabi meals and her favourite snack: Haldiram chivda.
As is expected, Quantico has created the most buzz in India, where it will be telecast on Star World starting October 3. Top brands including Flipkart, Maruti Suzuki and Coverfox have tied up as sponsors for the show.
US television is less forgiving than its Indian counterpart, often cancelling lacklustre shows before their logical conclusion. If initial reviews are to be believed, the show plays it safe, copying the trademark style of successful US TV producer Shonda Rhimes, whose Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder deftly keep viewers hooked with big plot twists.
Quantico's maiden episode has received moderate praise but Chopra's turn won positive mentions in critiques. This will be a pivotal moment for Chopra, an established star and simultaneously a newcomer. "There is a lot of curiosity about me here. But it is scary," she says. No matter what the outcome, her friends reckon she always has Plan B ready.
While the former Miss World has done more than 40 Bollywood films, she was an unfamiliar face in the United States, encouraging the makers of American Broadcasting Company (ABC) primetime show, Quantico, to pick her as the lead character. This is a first for an Indian star.
The journey to Chopra's international TV debut really began when she and her manager, Anjula Acharia-Bath, met ABC's head of casting and talent, Keli Lee, at a party. ABC is previously known to have launched stars like Sofia Vergara and Sandra Oh. Lee's efforts have also brought to light such diverse names as Lupita Nyong'o, the breakout star of the film 12 Years a Slave (2013), and Gina Rodriguez, the star of the telenovela-style show Jane the Virgin.
When Lee talked of his finds, Acharia-Bath reportedly pointed out the lack of a South Asian among them, adding: "We are one-fifth of the population." After watching a few of Chopra's films, ABC officials were keen to either develop a show for her or cast her in projects already underway.
Such decisions make business sense for the US networks as around 40 per cent of the country's population belongs to ethnic minorities. According to a UCLA report, TV comedies and dramas with a diverse cast excel in ratings.
Talking over the phone at 7.30 am from Montreal, where the series is being filmed, the 33-year-old seems sleepy and tired but warm. Her speech still has the intonation of a beauty queen. Chopra underplays the diversity card, saying instead that the cast was selected based on "who was best for the job". She went through 26 scripts before choosing the FBI drama Quantico.
Indeed, while Chopra adds to ABC's repertoire of actors of various ethnicities, her role on the show is not caricaturish. Her character is named Alex Parrish and is part-Indian. According to Joshua Safran, executive producer of the show, he imagined Parrish as a smart and determined FBI trainee who has been hardened by adversity, specifically the death of her father. "She is tough and courageous but probably more pessimist than optimist," he says.
The American network has invested heavily in her face with posters and billboards covering cities in the United States and Canada. Naturally, Safran is full of applause. When Chopra walked in for her first audition, everyone in the room perked up and paid attention, he says. "I did not know who she was, but I could tell that she was important. She carried herself like a star and brought grace, pride, and professionalism into the room with her."
Her preparation for Hindi action films like Don and Mary Kom helped her be in shape for Quantico, says Chopra. Before the series was shot, she trained in basic FBI skills like handling guns and clearing rooms. She also had to work on understanding the body language, voice and accent.
The classroom that was originally where Chopra studied in class XI
Chopra's "cross-border appeal" and "sensuality" are what prompted Indian luxury chocolate brand Schmitten to rope her in as its ambassador two years ago. Her "multi-faceted persona, style quotient, talent and effortless charm" made Pernod Ricard associate her with the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour.
It could have added the readiness to experiment with new roles. There is evident variety in Chopra's recent choice of roles, which include an autistic girl, a boxer and a tough cop. Her filmography is not without bumps though: while praised for Barfi and Mary Kom, she was panned for duds Zanjeer and Gunday.
Rather than search for a formula for success, Chopra says she depends on instincts while picking projects. "I am a big consumer of entertainment so I choose roles based on - would I want to watch this? And sometimes, just as we do while watching, one ends up picking the wrong thing also."
On screen, she has a sincerity that is extremely contagious, says Karan Malhotra who directed her in Agneepath (2012). "Whether the film does well or not, she stands out." Omung Kumar, who directed Mary Kom, agrees. "She was required to build muscle and because she was doing other films in between, she did it twice over."
Training for Mary Kom began days after Chopra's father, Ashok Chopra, died in June 2013. Samir Jaura, the man behind Farhan Akhtar's sculpted body in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, travelled with her for five months, helping her develop the toned physique of a boxer. Chopra, who was not a gym regular previously, was put on a low-carb, high-protein diet and trained for two to three hours daily.
This focus was visible early.
The Army Public School in Bareilly where Chopra spent her final schooling years
Chopra, after spending about three years in Boston, enrolled into class XI at this school. (She is said to have chosen to study in the US because she did not have to wear school uniform there.)
Shikha Saxena, vice-principal of the school, remembers Chopra as a "polite, affectionate" student and shares stories from her teenage years as if they are well-known fables. "She would often give a lift to any of the housekeeping staff if she was in her car to school and saw them walking."
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A middle-aged, bespectacled man walks in to interrupt Misra's reverie. Shiv Kumar, the music teacher, too, has an anecdote to share. Once, Chopra had prepared a song and requested Kumar to listen to her. "As a teacher, I obviously pointed out some flaws; even though she did not like it, she accepted my opinion and it only made her work harder," he says.
A small classroom has about 40 students, a platform for the teacher's desk and blackboard. This is VI B. When Rajeev Gupta, the coordinator, tells the students that this is where Chopra studied, there is an expected surge of excitement, especially from the young girls.
When a student asks Gupta what she should do if her friends didn't believe this detail about Chopra's classroom, Gupta says authoritatively, "You ask them to come see me." Chopra seems to instill a sense of unprecedented pride even in teachers who never taught her.
This pride seems to wane a little when Pushpa Kanyal, in-charge of discipline, speaks about Chopra. "I would see her from a distance and know that she had shortened her skirt again," she laughs. After her time in Boston, Chopra found the restrictions of a strict Army school difficult to navigate. "She was always the one with the most stylish hair and painted nails. She seemed cut out for her profession right from the start."
This was the charm that Chopra's Army family also saw in her. Inside a formidable secretary's office at the Bareilly Club, Chandra Pal Singh Rathore's face breaks into a sardonic smile when I mention the May Queen Ball of 1999. "There were few participants that year, so we went around encouraging young women to participate. Chopra first declined because she said she was not prepared," says Rathore. "I told her to wash her face and get onto the stage. She hasn't looked back since that evening."
In spite of Quantico, Chopra hasn't shut the doors on Bollywood. "I adore Bollywood," she says, in a manner that makes Bollywood sounds a bit like a puppy with a limp. "I get withdrawal symptoms if I don't do a song for two months."
She defends Bollywood, insisting that actors now have a longer shelf life than before and female actors are getting exciting work. Apart from the upcoming Bajirao Mastani and Jai Gangajal, some project announcements are around the corner, she adds, without going into the details.
The street in Mumbai named after Chopra's father
Indeed, the actress has been busier than ever in the last few years. Musical ambitions first took her to America. While the single "In My City", in collaboration with Will.I.Am, was a part of NFL's Thursday Night Kickoff, her songs have not created waves. But around the time, she also became the first Indian poster-girl for Guess.
Since then, she has been dividing time between India and North America. In addition to her multiple flats in Andheri, she has reportedly rented a luxury apartment in Montreal. TEAM P.C., her entourage on international trips, reportedly consists of 11 people. "When we walk into a room it is like Ocean's 12," she told The New York Times. Once the director calls "cut", she tends to jest and invite people to share ghee-rich Punjabi meals and her favourite snack: Haldiram chivda.
As is expected, Quantico has created the most buzz in India, where it will be telecast on Star World starting October 3. Top brands including Flipkart, Maruti Suzuki and Coverfox have tied up as sponsors for the show.
US television is less forgiving than its Indian counterpart, often cancelling lacklustre shows before their logical conclusion. If initial reviews are to be believed, the show plays it safe, copying the trademark style of successful US TV producer Shonda Rhimes, whose Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder deftly keep viewers hooked with big plot twists.
Quantico's maiden episode has received moderate praise but Chopra's turn won positive mentions in critiques. This will be a pivotal moment for Chopra, an established star and simultaneously a newcomer. "There is a lot of curiosity about me here. But it is scary," she says. No matter what the outcome, her friends reckon she always has Plan B ready.