Actor Priyanka Chopra may have gotten her start in Bollywood but through sheer talent and force of will, the icon has taken the globe by storm. In her memoir, Unfinished, the actress addresses the “patriarchy and favouritism” in Bollywood. Over the past few years, big names in the Hindi film industry have faced the public’s ire for nepotism and favouritism and for allegedly not allowing ‘outsiders’ to make a mark for themselves in the world of cinema.
The memoir, Unfinished, released on Tuesday.
Priyanka Chopra writes about her journey from a small town to becoming a National Award-winning actress and starring in big-budget Hollywood films. While actors like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Irrfan Khan have starred in Hollywood movies, nobody has managed to cement their status there as Priyanka Chopra has.
Zoom reports that during the filming of a seductive song sequence which required her to strip off her clothes, Chopra had asked a director if she should wear extra layers so as to not be “down to skin way too fast”.
“The director suggested I speak to my stylist, so I called him and briefly explained the situation, then passed the phone to the director. Standing right in front of me, the director said: “Jo bhi ho, chaddiyan dikhni chahiyen. Nahi toh log picture kyon dekhne aayenge?” which translates as “whatever happens, panties should be seen. Otherwise, why would people come to watch the movie?” Chopra wrote.
The actress wrote that she quit the project the very next day. “I was ready to go full-out as a temptress in the number. The director’s words and tone, though, conveyed that he regarded me in a way that I found unacceptable,” she added.
The director of the movie was so angry at her decision that he went to another set where she was acting and was in an “agitated” state. Her co-star, Salman Khan had to intervene.
The actress also spoke about how she was objectified by another filmmaker right after she was crowned Miss World in 2000. According to The Independent, Priyanka wrote, “After a few minutes of small talk, the director/producer told me to stand up and twirl for him. I did. He stared at me long and hard, assessing me, and then suggested that I get a boob job, fix my jaw, and add a little more cushioning to my butt. If I wanted to be an actress, he said, I’d need to have my proportions ‘fixed’, and he knew a great doctor in LA he could send me to. My then-manager voiced his agreement with the assessment.”