From Bareilly to Baywatch: Rise and Rise of PC


By Deepti D.

Let’s play a game…. Barilley is associated with “jhumka gira re…barilley ke bazaar mein” song and Baywatch with super toned sexy hot people….former is our good old Bollywood and latter the much trendy Hollywood… so where do the two meet ….think think….well our thinking horses screech and stop at one particular name trending these days… Yes you got it right… It’s none other than our own “desi girl”… PRIYANKA CHOPRA!!!!!

This former Miss World 2000 is not only one of the highest paid actress in Bollywood but is surely making her mark in the west. With her very humble middle class up bringing at barilley to dining with the Obamas , Padamshri Priyanka Chopra(PC) has truly come a long way… let’s go down a little down the memory lane and see how she has become a role model for many young girls of our generation.

Coming from a family of doctors, both her parents working in the Army, our young PC wanted to study psychiatry until opportunity to work in the showbiz came knocking once she was crowned beauty queen in 2000. Although her debut movie “The Hero” didn’t create a buzz but Bollywood had surely got a superstar in making. Going by the SRK way, she showed her acting skills as a vamp in “Aitraaz” and won accolades for it. Movies like “Don” and “Krrish” made her position strong in tinsel town. In the meantime she did films like “Mujhse se shaadi karoge” and “Salam-e- ishq” which showed her dancing skills. She unfortunately went through a lean period with flops like “Drona “ and “ Lovestory 2050 “ with then rumored boyfriend Harman Baweja which shook her box office status.

And…. Then in 2008 came her National Award winning performance Fashion which made everyone notice her again and she received a lot of critical acclaim for it too. She again changed her role playing dynamics when she played the ever so stylish, fashionable diva in the up market “Dostana”. Soon she became the “Marathi mulgi” in “Kaminey “and showed a different persona all together. She also was mentioned in the Guinness Book of world records when she portrayed 12 distinct zodiac characters in “What’s your Rashee”.

Her foray into serious acting started when starred as a femme fatale in 2011, Vishal Bhardwaj’s black comedy “7 Khoon Maaf”for which the film and her performance received acclaim from critics. She received lot of praises for her acting in “Don2” and “Agneepath”.”Zanjeer” “Krrish 2”…all remakes and sequels … Guess Priyanka was always the first choice when making remakes and sequels!! “Barfi” ..any actor’s dream role … how brilliantly Priyanka portrayed the emotions of the autistic Jhilmil .. she was par excellence in this movie . Movies like “ Gunday, Dil Dhadkne Do and the biopic Mary Com” .. all showed her verstality in acting and each one was above the other. In 2015, She starred in epic historical romance drama Bajirao Mastani. She portrayed KashiBai, the first wife of the Maratha general. The film opened to major critical acclaim, and Chopra received praise for her portrayal which several reviewers regarded as her best performance to date.


And with this she ventured towards more avenues in the west and hence the Television series “Quantico” happened in 2015 for which received positive reviews from television critics and Chopra was praised for her performance. She received the People’s Choice Award for “Favourite Actress In A New TV Series” for her role in Quantico, becoming the first South Asian actress to win a People’s Choice Award. H er string with Hollywood has just began and she is the most sought after person already. Chopra has several projects at the various stages of production. Chopra is filming the part of the main antagonist in the action comedy Baywatch, co-starring Dwayne Johnson, Zac Afron, and Alexandra Daddario.

Well to think of it, the poster of Baywatch released just a day ago and Ms Chopra was missing….people started thinking of all sorts of things that she just has a blink and miss role , to the makers not happy with her performance…. Well to put every rumor to rest, the makers of Baywatch makers have thought of launching our very own desi girl in grandest way possible and the next poster would be all hers… we are waiting guys !!!


Our Piggy Chops has not only entertained us with her superb performances on the big and small screens, but undeniably she is also one of the very good singers we have in today’s generation…proof being “In My City” features rapper will.i.am; and according to Chopra, a co-writer, the song was inspired by her her journey from a small-town girl to a celebrity.

Apart from being every man’s dream woman, she is also every girl’s dazzling diva and a nation’s pride. From a small town girl in Barilley to the fashion icon in the Bill boards Awards, dining with the Obama’s, doing social causes, releasing music albums, travelling the world for her Hollywood and Bollywood Projects….Priyanka has truly come a very very long way…..and yes one day she would definitely change the dynamics when she will play the first “female James Bond” as she said she wants to play and not a Bond Girl….

Our desi girl, Piggy Chops, PC, Padamshri Priyanka Chopra is here to stay folks and we cannot deny that we Indians are loving it… aakhir dil hain Hindustani !!!!