Priyanka Chopra Reflects on Transformation Amid Early Criticism

MUMBAI, India — Priyanka Chopra‘s rise to international stardom is a testament to her resilience against early criticism regarding her appearance. Despite facing harsh judgments in her career’s early days, the actress has emerged as a leading figure in the global film industry.

Veteran actor Smita Jaykar recently shared her first impressions of Priyanka, whom she worked with on the 2004 film ‘Kismat.’ Jaykar recalled her initial thoughts, expressing doubt about Priyanka’s potential as a heroine. “She was very thin, skinny, dark… I thought, how do these people come to become a heroine,” she said.

However, Jaykar noted Priyanka’s impressive transformation over the years. “Cut to… Priyanka Chopra was wow. I thought, what has this girl gone and done! She became a diva completely,” Jaykar praised, emphasizing that people shouldn’t judge others solely based on appearances.

In a past interview with the BBC, Priyanka opened up about the body shaming she faced early in her career due to colorism. “I was called ‘black cat,’ ‘dusky’… I believed I’d have to work harder,” she admitted, emphasizing the normalization of these harsh comments in the industry.

On the work front, Priyanka’s latest film, ‘Heads of State,’ debuted on Amazon Prime Video on July 2. Starring alongside Idris Elba and John Cena, Priyanka portrays MI6 agent Noel Bisset in the action-comedy directed by Ilya Naishuller.

Smita Jaykar continues to work within the industry, with appearances in the upcoming film ‘Maa Lapataa’ and the third season of the web series ‘Romeo.’