Priyanka Chopra on working in Hollywood: Have no qualms about showing people my work

Why haven't or Indian stars done it? That's question Priyanka Chopra Jonas says she is asked all time and one to which she has ready answer or than fact that she left bagg of being a Bollywood star when she crossed over to West. former Miss World, arguably only mainstream Indian actor to make it big in American entertainment industry, is w fronting global spy series Citadel.

"People ask me all time, why haven't or people done it? Why haven't or actors from India broken way you've broken? I don't have answer to that. All I kw is that one thing that I did, which maybe led to it, was I didn't carry my bagg, Priyanka told PTI in an interview during a recent visit to India.

I come from India and I'm a big star here, and I have an entour of 20 people. I don't do that (re). I will give an audition. I have qualms in walking into room and showing people my work. I'm t afraid of work. I don't carry my ego or my pride," she added.

40-year-old decided to explore Hollywood at peak of her career in Hindi film industry around 2011-2012. She began as a singer with single "In My City" and went on to feature as lead in American TV show "Quantico" and played antagonist in film Baywatch. Most recently, she was seen in Matrix Resurrections alongside Keanu Reeves. actor said it took her eight years of building her "credibility" with "smaller roles and movies" to finally reach a position where she is getting opportunities with big names such as " Matrix" creators Lana and Lilly Wachowski and "Avengers: Infinity War" duo Joe and Anthony Russo, who have produced Citadel.

"I've been a leading lady for a very long time, wher that's in Hollywood or in Bollywood. I consider myself a leading lady. It takes time to get re. It took me about eight years working in Hollywood to be able to do leading parts," actor said. In her 20-years in Hindi film industry, she has starred in films such as "Kaminey", "7 Khoon Maaf", "Barfi", "Bajirao Mastani" and "Dil Dhadakne Do".

Be it Hollywood or Bollywood, nature of "beast" that entertainment industry is remains same, start with "smaller roles and movies" and build your "credibility", Priyanka said. "And I had to do same thing when I joined Bollywood... That's just how industry works. And I'm t afraid of hard work. I'm t afraid of perseverance, but when you finally get re and when you watch your work n it's like 'I did it again'."

She was in India to promote Citadel, which will be seen on Prime Video and is backed by Russo Brors' AGBO banner. show also features "Game of Thrones" actor Richard Madden and veteran Hollywood star Stanley Tucci. It follows elite nts Mason Kane (Richard) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka), who had ir memories wiped as y narrowly escaped with ir lives after fall of independent global spy ncy Citadel. Russo Brors approached Priyanka with idea of "Citadel" five years ago. It was shot for over a year and a half during pandemic, making whole process "emotionally draining and physically demanding".

"It was taxing... I'm t even going to say it was lots of fun... show required us to be in good physical shape. To be able to do all physical stunts that we needed to do. And it's t easy to go to gym every single day to do stunt training, five-six times a week for a full year and a half... And I don't like going to gym at all. Doing all that was physically taxing anyway and n we were away from our families. We were in a bubble. We couldn't meet friends. We only had each or, which was crew and cast. That can be emotionally very difficult."

Juggling between two major film industries hasn't been a cakewalk, National Award-winning actor said. "I've found a really beautiful work-life balance. I'm t someone who overworks myself anymore... I used to burn candle on both ends. w I have a sense of I need time, my team needs time, people need to sleep, we need to eat. re was a time where I would go without sleep, food for days and it didn't matter. But my priorities have shifted."

actor, who got married to American singer Nick Jonas in 2018 and welcomed her first child Malti Marie Chopra Jonas in 2021, said it is important for her to spend time with her family w. "It's very important for me to have time with my family and to be able to finish working in evening and go back home and actually have just time for myself. I go away for weekends. So I don't feel perennially exhausted," she added. Citadel, produced by AGBO and Amazon Studios, will premiere on Prime Video globally on April 28.