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‘Priyanka Chopra had bad skin, was big-boned’: Prahlad Kakkar on PeeCee’s early days in Bollywood, success in West

Priyanka Chopra is busy with global domination at the moment, as one of the biggest stars of the world. But the journey was not easy, claims Prahlad Kakkar

Published on: Sep 17, 2025, 11:48:04 IST
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After making it big in Bollywood, actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas shifted her focus to Hollywood in 2015-2016. A decade later, she is one of the most relevant stars of both the industries, with her Indian fans eagerly waiting for a Bollywood comeback. But it hasn’t been an easy ride for the desi girl to reach where she has today. She has faced several hurdles along the way in her journey of world domination. In a recent interview, Indian ad film director Prahlad Kakkar opened up about the same, citing PeeCee’s disadvantages and lauding the success that she has managed to achieve in the West.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Talking to Vickey Lalwani about Priyanka Chopra’s early days in the industry and the 2000 Femina Miss India pageant, after which she was crowned Miss World, Prahlad Kakkar shared, “Priyanka had huge disadvantages at that time. First, she was dark. Second, she had a bad skin. And she still does. Okay, so her skin had to be actually made up and covered. And then she was a strong-looking girl. She lost a lot of weight to look like the way she did in Dostana. She looked like a million dollars in Dostana. I mean, there’s no question about it. She had to work damn hard at it because she’s not a delicate-looking girl. She’s a big-boned girl. So you don’t, you’re not just losing weight on your flesh. You’re also having to deal with a skeleton.”

Prahlad went on to discuss how Priyanka moved abroad when the Indian industry apparently decided that she was ‘too old for young heroines’. Lauding her for taking the risk, the ad film director stated, “You are getting big roles, you are getting parts, you are not top of the line anymore, and you decide, f**k it, I am going to restart my career again. How many people can do that?”

Currently, Priyanka is celebrating her husband and American singer Nick Jonas’ 33rd birthday. On the film front, PeeCee is all set to return to Indian films with SS Rajamouli and Mahesh Babu’s next.

  • Mahima Pandey
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Mahima Pandey

    Mahima Pandey is a journalist at HT City, who believes that being a bridge between the entertainment industry and the public is an honour. She enjoys Bollywood updates, films, fashion trends and gossip from the industry as much as any other movie buff, which helps her write things worth your time.Read More