Priyanka Chopra says she didn't want to leave Bollywood, was ‘pushed’ to seek work in Hollywood: ‘I felt limited’

Priyanka Chopra reflected on her journey from Bollywood to Hollywood, expressing her love for both film industries.

Actor Priyanka Chopra is one of the few Indian stars who enjoys global popularity today, with a strong body of work in both Bollywood and Hollywood. At the peak of her career in Hindi cinema, the actor moved to the United States to pursue opportunities in Hollywood, effectively restarting her career there. In a recent interview with Firstpost, Priyanka revealed that she never wanted to leave Bollywood but was “pushed” into exploring opportunities outside Hindi cinema.

Priyanka Chopra says she never wanted to leave Bollywood.

Priyanka Chopra on moving to Hollywood

Speaking about her journey from Bollywood to Hollywood, Priyanka 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.”

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 exploring opportunities in Hollywood when she launched her music career in 2012. She made her acting debut in the West as the lead in the television show Quantico. She then went on to feature in supporting roles in big films such as Baywatch and The Matrix Resurrections. Now, Priyanka is headlining major international projects such as Citadel, Heads of State, and The Bluff, her upcoming film with Karl Urban.

Priyanka Chopra’s upcoming work

Helmed by Frank E. Flowers, The Bluff is a pirate adventure film that also stars Ismael Cruz Córdova, Safia Oakley-Green and Temuera Morrison in key roles. The film is scheduled to release on Amazon Prime Video on 25 February.

Priyanka also has S. S. Rajamouli’s Varanasi in the pipeline. The film will mark her return to Indian cinema after eight years. It also stars Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran. The film is scheduled to release in theatres in April 2027.