Priyanka Chopra’s emergence as a Hollywood power player might have been relatively recent, but the British Vogue February 2023 cover star has been a Bollywood stalwart for more than two decades. Ahead of the release of her two latest projects – the hotly anticipated rom-com Love Again also featuring Céline Dion, and the Russo brothers’ heart-pumping thriller series Citadel with Richard Madden – we look back on the 10 most notable releases from her extraordinary career so far.
Andaaz (2003)
After winning the Miss World pageant in 2000, Chopra became a fully fledged movie star with her role as an impossibly glamorous party girl who comes between Akshay Kumar’s dashing flight lieutenant and his first love (Lara Dutta) in Raj Kanwar’s sweeping melodrama.
Fashion (2008)
As a fresh-faced aspiring model determined to succeed at all costs in Madhur Bhandarkar’s twisty thriller about the cutthroat fashion industry in Mumbai, Chopra won the National Film Award for Best Actress and cemented her reputation as a formidable, bankable female lead.
Kaminey (2009)
In Vishal Bhardwaj’s electrifying crime caper about a pair of reckless twins (both played to perfection by Shahid Kapoor), Chopra steals the show as one of their partners – a fearsome, gun-toting force of nature who is unafraid of defying her family and forging her own path.
7 Khoon Maaf (2011)
Reuniting with Bhardwaj, Chopra sizzled as an Anglo-Indian femme fatale in this juicy, pitch-black comedy, which follows her as she marries and then murders a string of eligible men (John Abraham, Irrfan Khan and Naseeruddin Shah, among others) who wrong her.
Barfi! (2012)
Anurag Basu’s whimsical, 1970s-set rom-com was a startling departure for Chopra, who delivered a quietly charming performance as the gentle, wide-eyed childhood friend of a hapless troublemaker (Ranbir Kapoor). It’s proof that there’s nothing she can’t do.
Mary Kom (2014)
The titular world boxing champion and Olympic bronze medalist is brought to life with verve and remarkable athleticism by Chopra in Omung Kumar’s touching biopic tracking her unlikely rise. From her rousing monologues to the explosive fight scenes, she’s a knockout.
Dil Dhadakne Do (2015)
Crucial to the success of Zoya Akhtar’s sun-drenched romp about a dysfunctional family (Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Ranveer Singh) on a European cruise is Chopra as its overlooked eldest child, her vulnerability carefully concealed under a veneer of poise and pragmatism.
Bajirao Mastani (2015)
Ranveer Singh’s moustachioed ruler Bajirao I and Deepika Padukone’s fierce princess Mastani are at the heart of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 18th-century epic, but it’s impossible to take your eyes off Chopra, as the former’s enchanting, heartbroken first wife, Kashibai.
Quantico (2015 - 2018)
With her charismatic turn as an FBI agent on the run across three seasons of Joshua Safran’s nail-biter, Chopra – stunningly – became only the first South Asian actor to headline an American network drama series. It catapulted her to stardom in the US and far beyond.
The White Tiger (2021)
The lives of an ambitious chauffeur (Adarsh Gourav), his corrupt boss (Rajkummar Rao) and the latter’s fun-loving wife (Chopra) become dangerously entangled in Ramin Bahrani’s razor-sharp social satire. The actor is note perfect throughout, and played an integral role behind the scenes, too, as an executive producer.
