Priyanka Chopra Jonas on How 'Ideas' Are Breaking Hollywood Barriers

"Ideas are your currency": Priyanka Chopra Jonas says 'Obsession' shows how Hollywood barriers are falling

Cannes, June 24

Speaking at the Cannes Lions conference, Chopra Jonas pointed to the success of the low-budget horror hit "Obsession" as evidence of how barriers to entry for talent and filmmakers have fallen.

"I feel like if you have an idea, shoot it, put it on YouTube, and it can become 'Obsession,' the movie that just came out," Chopra said. "What a wonderful time to be an entertainer, to be in the entertainment business, because ideas are your currency."

The global star reflected on the challenges she faced while entering the film industry, noting that she came from a family with no connections to cinema.

"My parents were doctors, so none of us had any idea how to navigate film," she said, as quoted by the outlet.

Recalling the early days of her career, the iconic star said the industry was once far more exclusive and difficult to enter.

"It used to be such a niche industry when I first started. If you wanted to get into filmmaking, you had to figure out what department you wanted to be in," she said, according to Variety.

The actor also spoke about perceptions surrounding Indian cinema during her early years in the industry.

"I was told that Indian cinema would never be as global as Hollywood because we're not English-language, and not everybody understands whatever language our movies might be in, whether Hindi, Telugu, Marathi or anything else," she said.

Chopra Jonas said her decision to launch a production company was driven by a desire to support emerging storytellers.

"I started my production house to support new filmmakers, or filmmakers who have great ideas but don't have the ability to open doors that I may be able to open," she said.

The actor, who recently appeared in streaming successes "Citadel" and "Heads of State," also revealed that she is looking to broaden the scope of her English-language career.

"In my Hindi-language career, I've worked with all the best filmmakers and the best actors, I've told amazing stories and done a variety of genres," she said. "Whereas in America, in Hollywood, in my English-language work, I haven't really done that as much."

She described her "next reinvention" as finding ways to bring the same diversity of roles and storytelling opportunities to her English-language projects that she has enjoyed in India.

Priyanka credited streaming platforms and the pandemic with helping audiences discover international content and breaking down language barriers.

"My mom loves Korean dramas. She would never have had access to those if it wasn't for both of those factors," she said. "Or she'll watch an Iranian movie. Or look at 'Squid Game' when it became the phenomenon that it did, or 'Parasite' when it won best picture."

According to her, the success of such projects has demonstrated that non-English-language entertainment can no longer be considered niche.

She also highlighted "Varanasi," a project she is currently working on that was shot in Telugu and will be dubbed into nearly 200 languages.

During the discussion, the global icon also spoke about how marriage and motherhood have transformed her personal and professional priorities, according to Variety.

"My life has changed tremendously," she said, adding that she is now much more selective about the projects she takes on and how she spends her time.

"I don't just pack my bags and go off for a movie anymore. I don't do five films a year. I don't travel the way I used to. I'm really, really selective about the time I spend and who I spend it with," she said. "I'm navigating working-mom life. I have so much more respect for my mother now," according to Variety.

— ANI