Priyanka Chopra Recalls How Her Decision To Do ‘Fashion’ Raised Eyebrows: It Took A Lot Of Fighting

Priyanka Chopra recently talked about the negative talk when she signed on to do ‘Fashion’, directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, and revealed that female actors only do such films at the end of their careers, or when no male star wants to feature alongside them.

For the unversed, the 2008 film also starred Kangana Ranaut and Mugdha Godse, and Priyanka bagged a National Film Award for Best Actress. In an interview with Prajakta Koli, Priyanka said that her decision raised eyebrows, and that’s when she decided to take the bull by the horns herself. “It took a lot of fighting, and saying that, ‘Theek hai, main chhoti film karungi agar mere balboote pe hoga, par ache se karungi (I’ll do a small film, but I’ll do it well).’ Like Fashion.”

She added, “Jab maine Fashion ki, mujhe kitne saare logon ne bola tha, uss zamane mein, ke ‘Yeh toh heroine apne career ke end mein karti hain jab unko National Award chahiye hota hai. Heroine apne career ke end mein filmein apne shoulder pe leti hain kyunki unko heroes ke saath kaam nahi mil raha hota hai (When I did Fashion, people told me that female actors only do solo films like this at the end of their careers, when they want to win awards and because no male hero wants to work with them). I was just three-four years into movies when I did ‘Fashion’, and everyone told me that I wouldn’t get another job if this film fails. I didn’t know any better.”

Priyanka last month grabbed headlines after revealing on Dax Shepard’s podcast that she was ostracised from the Hindi film industry because she had ‘beef’ with certain people. That’s why she headed to Hollywood, and now is an established actor there. 

On the work front, she will next be seen in big-budget spy series ‘Citadel’, and the romantic drama ‘Love Again’, co-starring Sam Heughan. She will also star in Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Jee Le Zaraa’, co-starring Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif.