"I Am Not Someone Who Believes In Flaunting My Relationship": Priyanka Chopra Jonas's Throwback Interview From 2013

Talk about a major throwback! Cosmo India interviewed Priyanka Chopra in 2013, and the actor had a lot to share that gives us an insight on her journey. Read on to find out what has changed, what remains the same and discover some glimpses of the ideology that has shaped her life as an international celebrity over the last few years.

We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate 17 years of girl power than with one of India’s most talented and dynamic women. Here’s getting to know the real Priyanka Chopra.

 

Priyanka Chopra is a very busy woman these days.  Her daily to-do list includes prepping for three upcoming films (Krissh 3, Gunday, and Mary Kom), a new single ready for release,  tonnes of inspiring work with UNICEF, and hopefully a sold out PC concert in the future to boot.

So when I finally get her on the phone, the first thing I ask is if she feels like she’s going to go crazy! “You know, multi-tasking requires immense organisational skills and I have a tremendous team that works like a well-oiled machine. They take care of the trivial details so I can just focus on the creativity. I like thinking out of the box and pushing my boundaries a little bit. Sometimes it gets too much and I just want to shut myself in a room, switch off my phone, and not be available to anyone. Unfortunately, I don’t have that luxury right now!”

I can’t help but wonder if PC has ever known an Achilles’ heel. Whether it’s pure talent and determination, a bag full of luck, or just her destiny, there’s little doubt that this former pageant winner was meant to be a star.

Priyanka has a success formula figured out. It’s concise, smart and clearly works. “I think the most important thing is confidence. And if you’re not confident, you’ve just got to fake it. Perception is reality. I think what you show people is what they’ll see you as, even though that might not be the real you. Number two is sincerity. You have to be extremely honest and sincere with your work. There are no shortcuts to success. Even if it’s making a cup of coffee for someone, make sure it’s the best coffee you ever make,” she emphasises.

So what separates this actor-turned-pop star from the rest of the Bollywood pack? At the risk of quoting a cliché, it’s definitely her non-filmi background, and ground breaking success with female-oriented films and challenging roles. Who can forget Fashion, 7 Khoon Maaf and Barfi? Her slow and steady rise to fame has made Priyanka relatable to millions of fans.

But despite having spent 10 years in the industry, this National Award winning actress still gets flustered by vicious rumour mills.  “I’m someone who doesn’t talk about her personal life. I believe very strongly that being a public person means I share almost 80% of my life with the world, and I deserve to keep about 10-20% to myself. I am not someone who believes in flaunting my relationship; I think it deserves to be private. Unless I’m very sure about something, which I’m clearly not at this point, the world doesn’t need to know. People get very judgmental and malicious without actually knowing the real story. They tend to forget that I’m a girl with a family and it affects me.”

So will we ever know when she decides to settle down or will she quietly sneak away into the sunset with her Prince Charming? “I haven’t really planned it. I’m a very spontaneous sort of person. It could be me shouting from the Eiffel Tower or disappearing in a time machine. I didn’t plan my life and basically jumped into whatever I found interesting. And I believe that’s how life should be experienced.” Sound advice.

While we’re discussing relationships, I broach the topic of frenemies in the film industry. Priyanka immediately fires up, ready to tell me exactly what I’d thought I’d hear from her. “I think you should keep it [your friend list] to a few. That is one way of keeping your friendships strong. I believe in all or nothing friendships; that’s why I keep very few friends around me. I don’t give a damn about them [frenemies] because I don’t need to be friendly with anyone I don’t like.” She couldn’t be clearer.

We’re now talking about living out of a suitcase for weeks at a time. “My suitcases are always packed! I carry an entire suitcase for shoes. I have fewer clothes than shoes. I depend a lot on my stylist, Ami Patel. She knows me very well and I brief her on what I’m feeling like. She is really very specific with the kind of clothes she gives me and that’s how we do it.”

When she’s back home, Priyanka keeps things casual and comfortable, and she shares a very special relationship with—wait for it—her bed! “There are very few days [for relaxing] because I’m someone who works almost every day. When I do get an off, I’m usually in a ganji and pyjamas, wrapped in my blanket. I like staying in bed, reading in bed, eating in bed, and watching TV in bed.” She laughs, “my mattress and I get along really well!”

 

This is What happened when Priyanka took The Cosmo Quiz

 

1. The importance of success on a scale of 1 to 10 is... 8 or 9.

2. The importance of love on a scale of 1 to 10 is...

11 on 10!

3. My biggest relationship pet peeve is... Lying!

4. My favourite designers for the red carpet are...
Dolce & Gabbana and  Manish Malhotra.

5. The best part about working with Hrithik Roshan is...
His incredible sense of focus!

6. The one thing I cannot live without...My phone! I cannot live without it because I don’t live in the same place all the time.

7. I’m most comfortable in...
Pants and a ganji!

8. My dream music collaboration would be with... Beyoncé.

9. The easiest way to make me uncomfortable... If somebody is very nasty I can’t give a come back instantly. I get tears in my eyes.

10. Once in my career, I’d like to work with... Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

11. Eye shadow or lipstick? Lip balm or a stain! I’m not into make-up.

12. I’m most afraid of... Ghosts!

13. My favourite kind of shoes are... Anything with super-high heels!

14. My favourite shoe label... Christian Louboutin. Because he’s a friend and makes me customised shoes!

15. On repeat on my iPod right now is... The entire Daft Punk album—Random Access Memories.

15. An iconic movie role I’d love to do... Ilsa Lund from Casablanca—a really beautiful character.