From Lust in Aitraaz to Love in Bajirao Mastani, how Priyanka Chopra channeled different emotions in her films

Updated: Jul 18, 2020, 07:33 IST | mid-day online correspondent | Mumbai

Priyanka Chopra is a Miss World, global icon, and a big Bollywood star, but she's also a gutsy actor who has channeled and almost mastered different emotions in different films. Here are some of the most memorable ones!

Picture Courtesy: YouTube

Priyanka Chopra made her Bollywood debut with The Hero- Love Story of A Spy in 2003 and in the same month did Andaaz. Neither of them were lead roles, but she couldn't be ignored. There was something special about her screen persona that could not be neglected. As years passed, she became a massive movie star with impressive and incredible acting talent.

Today, she's a global icon, signing some major Hollywood projects and basking in the glory of her well-deserved fame and fortune. But what still resonates with a lot of people is her ability to channel nearly all the emotions in her films through different characters and narratives. Chopra is one star that has nearly mastered all the emotions in her career in the last 17 years.

Here are some of them:

1. Lust- Aitraaz (2004)

Aitraaz

Aitraaz was Chopra's breakthrough role and a quite breathtaking one. She played Sonia, a seductive young woman with the desire to succeed overnight. She could be described as a gold-digger! The film was inspired by the Hollywood thriller Disclosure, the erotica may not have been as titillating as it was in the original, but there was some fun to be had in witnessing Chopra going all unapologetic and unabashed in this character-driven by lust- for power, for money, and for the carnal appetite!

2. Ego- Fashion (2008)

Fashion

Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion pretty much mirrored the glamour industry and its glittery people. But as the narrative proceeded, we began to sense this was just a facade. Priyanka Chopra came from a small town to become a Supermodel, and she did. As success began to fall on her feet, self-conceit and ego began to crawl into her head. Who said it's only the insiders in this industry that have to be ruthless?

3. Love- Kaminey (2009) and Bajirao Mastani (2015)

Kaminey

Vishal Bhardwaj and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's worlds of romance are like chalk and cheese. One is fond of grandeur and the other revels in grit, and yet, there's something poetic about the way they stage the passion between their leads. The link that connects Kaminey and Bajirao Mastani is obviously Chopra. One was a story of a couple struggling to make ends meet and the other a historic saga about a warrior and his gorgeous wife. Both had gratifying scenes of intimacy, filmed with care and charm, and both Bhardwaj and Bhansali gave Chopra characters she could fall in love with, and not just make us fall in love with them!

4. Rage- 7 Khoon Maaf (2011)

7 Khoon Maaf

The rage that Vishal Bhardwaj staged in Kaminey was only amplified in 7 Khoon Maaf, his second collaboration with Chopra. Spanning over years, this was a tale of a woman longing for love. The inspiration was not Shakespeare this time around but the story was woven with tragic outcomes and traumatic finales. Chopra played Susanna, and for her, death was the only punishment for breaking her heart. She married as many as seven men, and all of them became victims of her murderous rage, hence the title! She was not the villain of the story, the blunders of her husbands were!

5. Warmth- Barfi! (2012)

Barfi

Jhilmill is a character that can go completely off the mark if in the hands of an incorrect filmmaker and an incompetent actor. Neither of that happened in Barfi, directed by Anurag Basu. This sweet and charming film wasn't as much about its plot as much as it was about the bond the characters in the comedy shared. Chopra played Jhilmil, an autistic girl who befriends our deaf-and-mute protagonist. Their moments of togetherness were enough to infuse warmth and gentleness into the story that was already titled after a sweet. How sweet!

6. Anger- Jai Gangaajal (2016)

Jai Gangaajal

We have often seen male cops and their fury and frustrations over the stench of the system and their battles with the people in power. Prakash Jha placed a female cop this time and how she takes on the authority filled with anger. It was only after this film that Chopra forayed into the West to become a global icon, but before leaving for Hollywood, she showed Bollywood how women can be as brutal and badass as the Singhams and the Simmbas.

7. Despair- The Sky Is Pink (2019)

The Sky Is Pink

She came back to Bollywood with this moving drama curiously titled The Sky Is Pink. She played the role of a mother who has an ailing daughter. We do see Chopra's love story with her husband (Farhan Akhtar) but it was largely a film about Zaira Wasim. The film showed the desperation of a mother without being melodramatic, something most of the Hindi films succumb to for a wider emotional connect!

Also Read: Nick Jonas Wishes Priyanka Chopra On Her Birthday In The Most Loveable Way!

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Priyanka Chopra's rare childhood and family photos you may have not seen before

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Yes, this little girl is Priyanka Chopra! Born on July 18, 1982, Priyanka was brought up in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. (All pictures courtesy: Priyanka Chopra's Instagram account)
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You will be surprised to know that Priyanka Chopra, who made a style statement with her hot pants and halter tops in 2008's Dostana, wasn't allowed to wear a pair of jeans at home. Yes, you read it right! She faced these restrictions at home after returning from the US, where she had gone to do her high school.

In picture: Priyanka Chopra poses for a picture with her mom Madhu Chopra.
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Priyanka Chopra said in an interview with mid-day in 2009, "I wasn't allowed to wear short skirts and then my jeans were also confiscated. And my mother got 12 salwar kameez sets made for me so that I wore only those because when I used to go to school, guys used to follow me."

In picture: Priyanka Chopra with her father Ashok Chopra.
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Though Priyanka Chopra is a global star now, the actress has time and again showed her love for her motherland. Here's an interesting incident that PC had shared with mid-day.

In picture: Priyanka Chopra with her grandmother Madhu Jyotsna Akhouri and father Ashok Chopra.
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Priyanka Chopra, in 2012, had said, "I am very proud to be an Indian. It's not an empty proclamation, but a statement based of my beliefs and personal experiences, which were ingrained in me since childhood. I come from an army background. My parents were doctors in the army and I have spent all my formative years being part of a committed group of people whose main aim is to protect the independence we enjoy today, even if it means giving up their lives."

In picture: Priyanka Chopra with father Ashok Chopra in a picture from their Kashmir trip.
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She further added, "I have met so many people whose stories can fill a thousand pages... stories of sacrifice, love, honour… all for the country. The kids I grew up with, came from the same background, the same schools, but we were still so different. I will never forget something one of my classmates told me. She was a shy girl who had so many dreams and aspirations but no outlet to realise them. In a somewhat deep discussion with her (given our age at the time), she said… 'I want my freedom… to just be. To be proud of whatever I do without thinking about what society will say'."

In picture: Priyanka Chopra enjoys a 'shikara' ride with her family in a photo from their Kashmir holiday.
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"I realised then that I didn't want to throw away the freedom I had been given by my parents and from that moment I chose to grab every opportunity that came my way. Miss World was another eye-opener. I walked into a room full of women from across the world, feeling slightly inferior. A few weeks and multiple experiences later, I walked away with a new understanding of how unique we are in this world... a confluence of intelligence, beauty culture, tradition and history. I realised that many aspects of who I am is where I come from and I had so many reasons to be proud of being an Indian. Ever since then, this fact has been proven to me time and time again at various interactions I have had with people across the globe," Priyanka Chopra concluded.

In picture: Priyanka Chopra posted this 'then-and-now' photo with her bestie Divya Jyoti.
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Priyanka Chopra, whose foray into the entertainment industry began at the age of 17 when she won Miss India and went on to win Miss World, followed by Bollywood and now Hollywood, hopes to inspire people with the feelings she during the course of what has been a fascinating journey.

In picture: Priyanka Chopra with her father Ashok Chopra.
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Priyanka Chopra is writing her memoir titled Unfinished. The actress always wanted to write a book but wanted to wait to do a bit more in life. But now she feels she doesn't have to be "finished" to tell her story.

In picture: India's beauty queens -- Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta and Dia Mirza -- in one frame!
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Priyanka Chopra's Unfinished is a collection of personal essays, stories, and observations by the actress She hopes to spread the message - "If I can...anyone can."

In picture: Miss World Priyanka Chopra with her parents Ashok and Madhu Chopra and brother Siddharth Chopra. Priyanka won the crown in 2000.
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When Priyanka looks back on her life as a public person, she says she feels super proud of what she has done and where her life is right now". "I've realised you don't have to be finished to tell your story, and that sometimes life's greatest lessons are taught along the ride...when you're still figuring things out...when you're 'Unfinished'," she added.

In picture: Priyanka Chopra, lost her father Ashok Chopra in 2013, shared this pic on his death anniversary.
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Priyanka was very close to her father Ashok Chopra, who died in June 2013. She got a tattoo reading 'Daddy's Lil Girl' inked on her wrist in his handwriting.
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Picture perfect! Priyanka Chopra with her parents Ashok and Madhu Chopra and brother Siddharth Chopra.
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Priyanka Chopra with her sibling Siddharth Chopra. "I wish I could rewind to the time when you looked like my baby brother... and when your birthday was a countdown to mine for me. Oh wait... it still is. Happy birthday Sid... Miss you @siddharthchopra89 [sic]" wrote PC in her caption with this picture.
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Priyanka often shares pictures remembering her father. This snapshot of him offering a rose to his wife and Priyanka Chopra's mother Madhu looks so adorable!
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Priyanka Chopra has often expressed that her father's death was a big blow and that she still has not come to terms with it.
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Priyanka is herself as invested in philanthropy as in her showbiz career as an actor and producer. She has worked with UNICEF for a decade and was appointed as the national and global UNICEF goodwill ambassador for Child Rights in 2010 and 2016 respectively.
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Priyanka Chopra promotes causes such as environment, health and education and women's rights among many others.
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Priyanka Chopra was conferred India's fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, in 2016, and featured in Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of the world. She is also a National Award winner.
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She can be truly called as the self-made woman.
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We wish Priyanka Chopra a very happy birthday. Just keep inspiring the world PeeCee!

About the gallery

India's global sensation Priyanka Chopra turns 37 on July 18, 2020! On her birthday, we bring you 21 pictures, from her childhood and modelling days to family photos, which you may have never seen before

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