Happy 30th Birthday Priyanka Chopra!
2012 is a big year for Priyanka Chopra. She hits the big 3-0 today and celebrates a decade in Bollywood, hence it�۪s a double celebration.
Chopra gained fame in 2000 by winning the Miss World title in what can only be described as a fluke. Upon being asked who she considered her living inspiration to be, she mentioned Mother Theresa (who had already passed on at the time). Her long winded yet dubious answer, and rumouredly Shah Rukh Khan�۪s inclusion in the panel of judges won her the title anyway.
Her debut was in the Tamil film ��Thamizaan�۪ in 2002, shortly followed by a bit role in the Sunny Deol-Preity Zinta starrer ��The Hero: The Love Story of a Spy�۪ (2003). Zinta was one of the reigning actresses at the time, so Chopra�۪s role was more or less reduced to a bit part. It was only when she was ��re-introduced�۪ with Akshay Kumar and Lara Dutta in Suneel Darshan�۪s clich̩d love triangle ��Andaaz�۪��did she truly arrive. Even though Dutta had the meatier part, it was Chopra that went on to grab the headlines and better films due to her then alleged fling with a much married Kumar.
��Andaaz�۪ was followed by bit roles in inconsequential films like ��Kismat�۪ (2004), ��Asambhav�۪ (2004) and ��Plan�۪ (2004). It was only till much later that same year that Chopra gave one of her career defining roles in ��Aitraaz�۪ as the deliciously wicked, man eating, conniving super bitch – as she is referred to in the film -��Sonia Roy. The Abbas-Mustaan ��Disclosure�۪ rip-off got her her first Filmfare award and till date remains one of her best performances. In her vamp-ish act she chewed up the scenery relegating even Kareena Kapoor to the sidelines.
Over the next couple of years Chopra chose quantity over quality as she practically grabbed every wallflower role in the book. It was only in 2006, that she was finally considered a front runner in the race to the top when two of her films ��Krrish�۪ and ��Don�۪ hit the marquee. Unfortunately, she was unable to sustain the momentum and was nearly written off until 2008, when not one, not two, but a whopping seven of her films released back to back. 2008 was also the year that Chopra scored with both audiences and critics alike with her portrayal of Meghna Mathur in Madhur Bhandarkar�۪s hard hitting ��Fashion�۪. Her turn as the supermodel who rises to fame, falls and subsequently rises phoenix like from the ashes won her each and every award that year, including the coveted National Award. ��Fashion�۪ was followed by an uber chic, ultra glam turn as Neha Melwani in Karan Johar�۪s ��Dostana�۪, proving her dependability in both the acting and the looks department too.
But with every high there has to be a lull. With credit to her, Chopra took on challenging roles like ��What�۪s Your Rashee�۪ (2009), ��Saat Khoon Maaf�۪ (2011) and supposedly commercially viable films like ��Anjaana Anjaani�۪ (2010) and ��Pyaar Impossible�۪ (2010), all of which bit the dust like nine pins. The only silver lining around this phase was her turn as the crackerjack Sweetie in Vishal Bhardwaj�۪s ��Kaminey (2009). With just eight scenes to her credit Chopra nearly managed to steal the thunder from Shahid Kapoor who was present in each and every frame of the film. It was also on the sets of this film that she apparently fell for her charming co-star, but after a tempestuous relationship both called it off choosing instead to remain friends.
This lull was followed by a professional and personal storm when Chopra was said to have had a thing for Shah Rukh Khan and their dalliance grabbed every headline possible. As a result, Chopra managed to inadvertently ostracise herself from many powerful people in the industry ��� namely Karan Johar, star wives Susanne Roshan, Gauri Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar – the list went on and on.
As it stands, she has had two consecutive successes ��Don 2�۪ (2011) and ��Agneepath�۪ (2012), but her contribution to both was relatively inconsequential. And her most recent ��Teri Meri Kahaani�۪ has turned out to be a complete damp squib ��� a film which she had pinned high hopes on.
However, fans need not fear. She has ��Barfi!�۪ (with Ranbir Kapoor) releasing in a couple of months and the first trailer has opened to overwhelming response. Her turn as the autistic Jhilmil in Anurag Basu�۪s touted venture is sure to grab her eyeballs if nothing else. In the pipeline there�۪s also an international music album (Chopra has always had a good singing voice), the sequel to ��Krrish�۪, the remake of ��Zanjeer�۪ and perhaps Sanjay Leela Bhansali�۪s ��Ram Leela�۪ too, but this is yet to be confirmed.
Whatever the case with her personal life may be one thing is for sure, Chopra cannot be faulted for ambition, taking risks (some of which have paid off), and her never say die attitude. What�۪s more, she�۪s one of the few from the current crop of A-list actresses who is seen as able to hold a film totally on her shoulders!
On that parting note, we at BizAsia would like to wish the awesome PC (as she’s fondly referred to) a fabulous 30th birthday, a great time in Ibiza (where she is said to be partying) and hope she continues to wow us with her different choices, versatility and different avatars in the years to come. Happy birthday Priyanka!
