Priyanka Chopra reveals being 'pushed' to explore Hollywood: "I don’t think I ever wanted to leave Bollywood"

Despite building a strong foothold in the West, Priyanka made it clear that her connection to Indian cinema remains intact.

• Priyanka Chopra says she never wanted to leave Bollywood.
• She enjoys working in both Indian and Hollywood industries.
• Priyanka to star in Rajamouli's Varanasi, releasing April 2027.

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Over the years, Priyanka Chopra has evolved from being one of Bollywood’s biggest stars to establishing herself as a prominent international figure. While her transition to Hollywood is often viewed as a bold and strategic career move, the actress recently revealed that the shift happened during a time when she was at the height of her success in Hindi cinema — and that she felt compelled to look beyond it.

In a recent interview with Firstpost, Priyanka candidly reflected on her decision to pursue opportunities in Hollywood and spoke about the circumstances that shaped her global journey.

She said, “I don’t think I ever wanted to leave Bollywood. I felt limited for many reasons when I was working in Hindi films. I wanted to expand. I was kind of pushed into wanting to look for opportunities that would be exciting to me as an artiste. I landed up working in America, and now, I feel like, after almost 12 years or so, I am finding the momentum to pick and choose really amazing work, and that’s not easy.”

Despite building a strong foothold in the West, Priyanka made it clear that her connection to Indian cinema remains intact. She emphasized that she never saw her journey as choosing one industry over another, but rather embracing both.

She added, “I love my Indian films. I am really happy to be back in Varanasi, India, again, and I would hate to have to choose between the two. I never have. I feel like I straddle both worlds, and I enjoy working in both industries. They are both different to work in, in many ways, just as cultures are, but now my brain can work in two different ways, so it’s really a unique, amazing, fun thing to be able to do.”

Priyanka began laying the foundation for her international career in 2012 with her music ventures in the West. Her official Hollywood acting debut came with the American television series Quantico, where she played the lead role of Alex Parrish. The show marked a significant breakthrough and opened doors to major film projects in Hollywood.

She went on to appear in films such as Baywatch, The Matrix Resurrections, and the spy-thriller series Citadel, steadily strengthening her presence in global entertainment.

Also read: Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas' sartorial picks for LA premiere of 'The Bluff' win a thumbs up

On the professional front, Priyanka continues to maintain a dynamic slate of projects. She is set to return with the second season of Citadel and will also be seen in the upcoming film The Bluff.

In addition, the actress is preparing for a much-anticipated return to Indian cinema with filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli’s upcoming film Varanasi, which is slated for release in April 2027. The project also stars Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran, further heightening anticipation among audiences.