Priyanka Chopra Jonas visibly winces when someone utters the C-word: crossover.
In a Manhattan apartment she shares with husband Nick Jonas and their 4-year-old daughter, Malti, the actress discusses her journey from Bollywood's highest-paid star to Hollywood action heroine. But she doesn't want you calling it a crossover.
"I have a tumultuous relationship with that word," she tells Variety. "It almost sounds like where you weren't good enough—and that's never how it felt to me."
She is the only proven star who meaningfully works in both Hollywood and Bollywood—not as a novelty act or guest star, but as a sustained, bankable presence in both industries.
Chopra Jonas doesn't shy away from her earlier missteps. She attempted a pop music career midway through her rise. "For a hot minute—and then quickly realized I should go back to acting," she says.
She is eyeing projects with S.S. Rajamouli, the director of RRR, for an upcoming film called Varanasi. She is also working on The Bluff, continuing her Hollywood work.
As for the marriage backlash after tying the knot with Jonas, she brushes it aside. When you're Priyanka Chopra Jonas, you don't need anyone's permission to rewrite your own script.