Priyanka Chopra is today an international sensation. The 34-year-old Indian actress moved to the west and proceeded to amass an even larger fanbase. She played the role of protagonist Alex Parrish in ABC’s Quantico while balancing her play in Bollywood. Soon after, she took on The Rock aka Dwayne Johnson in Baywatch as Victoria Leeds. Many would say that she’s living the dream with the world at her feet but, is she really the global star she seems to be? Star, yes. Actor, not so much.
Going back to her work in the west, it seems Priyanka Chopra doesn’t have a lot to show for. In the last two years, Priyanka has acted in one TV series that very few watch and one movie, that has been unanimously regarded as atrocious. The only thing that she seems to be doing well is making headlines, while looking pretty. Some might argue that her job requires her to be in the limelight. But hey, her job also requires a bit of acting.
Priyanka Chopra at Emmys 2016. (Courtesy: AP Photo)
Priyanka Chopra is easily the highlight of every event that she attends. From the Emmys to the Oscars, Priyanka sweeps ’em all with her magnetic allure. But that is just the one aspect of being an actress/celebrity and Priyanka only ever gets it half right. She knows how to market herself but she hasn’t yet displayed the ability of picking intelligent projects that leave a lasting impression on-screen.
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While it was an amazing feat in itself to land the role of a lead in mainstream television series, Priyanka could hardly sustain it. Amid accomplished actors, Priyanka’s portrayal of Alex Parrish seemed dull. Overdramatic yet, lifeless. Although she improved as she the series progressed, the damage had been done. The series drastically lost viewers and even with a relatively better second season, could not attract a sizeable audience. The problem with Quantico lies in its terrible script- a typical whodunnit plot that mechanically shifts between two timelines.
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Then came Baywatch, a complete U-turn from Quantico and, basically everything that is watchable. While Priyanka delivered a fine job as the antagonist Victoria Leeds, once again, she had picked a deplorable script that would do her no good. The film, which was Priyanka’s Hollywood debut, flopped at the Box Office despite the appeal.
ALSO READ: From Baywatch to Aitraaz, Priyanka Chopra has always been exceptional in roles with shades of grey
Priyanka Chopra attends the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic at Liberty State Park in New Jersey. (Courtesy: AP/PTI Photo)
All Talk, No Walk
Back to her off-screen appearances, the hype around her is huge. Priyanka Chopra wears the right clothes, and mouths the right lines. From Jimmy Fallon to Ellen Degeneres, from Kelly Ripa to Chelsea Handler – she has done the rounds of almost every major talk show there is in America. Movies done? One. Television series? Two seasons (and a half?). Interviews given? Countless.
She talks about the need for empowering roles, and making a statement with her acting – playing a female James Bond or Bat(wo)man for instance – but then she goes ahead and picks a role like Victoria Leeds instead. Hunting for roles with a monochrome lens is not doing her any good.
Hopefully, her role in A Kid Like Jake is a little bit more testing because Priyanka Chopra can act. We’ve seen her do exceptionally well in Bollywood but her selection of roles in Hollywood seems rather out-of-character. The jump from Bajirao Mastani to Baywatch has been a bit much to handle.
Priyanka needs to change her criteria to judge a character/script that comes her way if she ever hopes to become truly successful. Otherwise, she might just end up becoming a hollow celebrity like one of the Jenner-Kardashians.
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