Priyanka Chopra Jonas on restarting her career and returning to Indian cinema

Priyanka Chopra Jonas reflects on career risks, public scrutiny and her long-awaited return to Indian films

Priyanka Chopra Jonas has never embraced the label “crossover.” The global star says the word suggests that her career in India was somehow a stepping stone, rather than a destination in its own right.

By the time she moved to Los Angeles in 2013, she was already one of Bollywood’s highest-paid and most celebrated actors. Choosing to restart in her 30s meant walking away from security and success. “I chose to blow it up,” she has said of that decision.

Her early years in Hollywood included a brief attempt at launching a pop music career before landing the lead in the ABC thriller Quantico, which introduced her to mainstream American audiences. Film roles followed, including The Matrix Resurrections and the Oscar-nominated The White Tiger, which she also executive produced.

Still, she recalls facing preconceived notions in meetings, with industry figures often surprised by her fluency and experience.

Now firmly established in both industries, Chopra Jonas has become a key global player for Amazon. She stars in the high-budget spy series Citadel, one of the streamer’s most-watched international originals, and leads the action film The Bluff. Her cross-market appeal is particularly valuable as India continues to grow as one of the world’s largest streaming audiences.

At the same time, she is returning to Indian cinema in a major way. Chopra Jonas will star in Varanasi, the next epic from RRR director S.S. Rajamouli. The project marks her first Indian feature in several years and reflects what she describes as coming back on her own terms.

She has even insisted on performing a full dance number, a signature element of the industry that launched her career.

Offscreen, her marriage to Nick Jonas has drawn persistent public scrutiny, from commentary about their age gap to speculation about their relationship. Married for eight years and parents to a young daughter, the couple have chosen to tune out the noise. While early backlash was hurtful, she says they ultimately focused on each other rather than public opinion.

At 43, Chopra Jonas says she is no longer chasing validation. She is selective about her projects and mindful of the privilege that comes with creative control.

Rather than crossing over, she has expanded outward, building a career that fully exists in both Hollywood and Indian cinema without apology.