Priyanka Chopra on why she choose “Baywatch”

Priyanka Chopra has been making waves globally. Her television show is doing well, her red-carpet appearances have been impressing fashion critics, and now, she is working on her first Hollywood film, a big-screen adaptation of the famous TV show, Baywatch.

Naturally, there’s a lot on her plate, but the actor is determined to give her best to all her commitments. “My work ethic is very strong. When you do so much, and make the choices that you do, you have to stand by them,” says Chopra.

The 32-year-old, who is currently enjoying her stint in the western entertainment industry, says working on international projects was not a “planned move” for her.

“However, I was keen on it, and I’m glad it worked out. My music stint helped me meet people in America, and then my TV show happened,” said Chopra.

She also reveals that before Baywatch, a lot of Hollywood film offers came her way, but she “wanted to do something different”. “I’m playing a powerful part in this film; something I just couldn’t say no to,” she adds.

But managing two things at the same time has not been easy for the actor, who is “thankful” to the makers of her TV show and her film for working around her schedule. “They sat together to figure out a way to work both these things out. I’ll be flying back and forth from Montreal to Miami. It will be exhausting. I will also be playing two completely different characters. But I have done this in the past. I have been trained in one of the most difficult industries, Bollywood, where we do multiple parts and films all the time,” says the actor.

Priyanka says she is pleased with the fact that an increasing number of Indian actors are getting good opportunities in the west.

Ask her if they are now being perceived any differently there, and she says, “Not completely, but I think with more and more [Indian actors] coming to the fore, that will happen. Our country has tremendous talent. And it’s time the world recognizes India’s potential.”

“Having said that, there is still a lot of stereotyping, and I have made it my mission to break those [stereotypes] by not playing only the exotic pretty girl. I also give credit to actors like Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, who have paved the way for Indian actors in the global entertainment circuit.” – added Chopra