Priyanka Chopra reflects on her toughest career phase, 'Six Bollywood films tanked in a year and fought for years before real break in Hollywood’

Priyanka Chopra revisited one of the bleakest phases of her career while speaking at the Bridge Summit 2025 in Abu Dhabi, recalling how a string of back-to-back Bollywood failures forced her to constantly reinvent herself — long before she could even dream of a breakthrough in Hollywood.

‘One year I did six movies and all six tanked’

Looking back at the unpredictable early years, Priyanka said she often had no control over the direction of her journey.

“I’ve had to pivot so many times. There were phases where one year I did six movies and all six tanked. And then suddenly someone else was doing the films I wanted to do. My pivots were never about choice. They were about survival. At the time, I was just trying to figure out what to do next,” she said.


The setbacks, she shared, came during a time when she did not have the privilege of being selective.

“When I started, I didn’t have the privilege to say no. It’s tough to just get the work. I accepted every opportunity, was travelling constantly, and missed key family milestones because refusing work didn’t feel like an option.”

Years-long struggle before her first real Hollywood break

Priyanka drew a direct line between the instability of her early Bollywood years and the uphill climb she faced when she moved to the United States.

“When I first moved to America and started working in pop music and acting, many roles were written with stereotypes. I had to fight for years before I got my first real break — a role where I could just be an American character, not defined by my ethnicity,” she said.

‘Now I get to choose’

After spending years responding to circumstances, Priyanka said she is finally in a place where her choices are driven by intention. “Now I get to choose. Now I can decide what feels right for me,” she noted.

She added that with experience has come clarity about what matters. “There’s a time for everything. When I first started working, I said yes to everything because every opportunity was a privilege... But now, I say yes with intention. I weigh the pros and cons, I think about the impact on my family, my sanity, and my long-term goals. That’s how you protect your crystal balls.”

Work front

Priyanka Chopra was last seen in Heads of State alongside Idris Elba and John Cena. She will next be seen in The Bluff and Judgment Day, and also has SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi in the pipeline.

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