Priyanka Chopra Jonas: No Right/Wrong Way To Achieve Dreams

Radhika Bhirani for BW Businessworld
~~ rbhirani@gmail.com

Her Bareilly to Bollywood, Mumbai to Montreal journey is what dreams are made of. But none of it came easy for Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

Persistence, commitment, a desire to learn, a zeal to take on new opportunities, getting out of the comfort zone and being fearless are attributes that have led the former Miss World to set a precedent for a woman -- a South Asian -- in the global entertainment industry, and beyond.

Today, apart from being a successful actor, she has authored her biography "Unfinished" and is a formidable entrepreneur who is finding her feet in the worlds of online dating, haircare, food and more.

A glimpse into a #CuriousCaseByRadhikaBhirani interview with Priyanka Chopra Jonas for BW Businessworld's India's Most Influential Women 2021 issue.

Full interview:

Unstoppable as you are in your 'Unfinished' journey from Bareilly to Hollywood, and now beyond in the world of business, tell us what attributes do you consider in yourself to be the leader that you are?

Persistent, committed, open to learning and to new opportunities, taking risks, getting out of my comfort zone and not being afraid to hustle and to do the work.

Is leadership inherent or can it be acquired? Please share your thoughts based on your experience, apart from what you think are the traits that can make a good leader.

It’s a skill that needs to be honed. We inherently have many of the traits, but we need to be able to understand our individual strengths and weaknesses and build a leadership style that is based on that. The key essence of being a good leader is to have a broader vision and also to be able to drive your team to achieve that vision. You have to have empathy and self-motivation, because as the leader, everyone is looking up to you for direction.

What is the larger impact that you want to make when it comes to the industry you work in, and in the community at large?

For me it’s about creating equal opportunity, opening the doors into global cinema for women and for talent of all nationalities and ethnicities. It’s also about content and creating meaningful entertainment built on concepts from across the globe.

You have always advocated for the girl child rights and done your bit as a public figure to motivate them. Any advice to young girls who are looking to, as your film "The White Tiger" says, "break out of the coop", and survive the jungle?

Believe in yourself first and foremost. Be willing to work hard to achieve the dreams and aspirations you have for yourself. There is no right or wrong way to achieve that… but there is ‘Your Own Way’ and you have to find what that is and be comfortable with it. Understand that you will always have detractors and naysayers… don’t listen to them… listen to your gut and to those people you know mean well for you. The world is yours for the taking… you just have to work hard and fight the fights because nothing in life comes easy.

When the world looks at you as a leader -- as a pioneer -- what are the challenges you face on a personal level, and how do you combat them?

Each one of us has our own personal challenges which are unique to our journey’s. I have faced many personal challenges, many of which I’ve outlined in my memoir #Unfinished, but I think the key take away is to always understand what the challenge is and find your own path to conquering it. I have always said, be open to learning something new, to pivot when the opportunity arises… being open to challenges is such an important factor to achieving your own personal success.

Tell us what led you to go beyond your work as a film artiste to explore business opportunities and investments, starting with Purple Pebble Pictures, and moving into Bumble, tech start-up Holberton, and most recently your restaurant Sona? And how do you juggle all these, along your work as an actor?

I like to believe I’m a student of life. I don’t like to rest on my laurels and am always keen to explore new opportunities. I pursue the things that interest me, and I grab opportunities that are presented to me. I hate limiting myself to just one thing and completely enjoy the process of trying my hand at different things… the experience in itself is worth the effort.

I’ve learnt by experience, by hits and misses, how to manage my time efficiently. For one, I ensure I am surrounded by an amazing team, each achievers in their own right, who help me accomplish the goals I’ve set for myself. I’ve also learnt, a little later in life, that making time for yourself and the people you care about is essential to you creating a balanced life. It allows you to refresh and be ready to face the work challenges better. The most important thing is to create your own time management system. For example, mine is based around my work as an actor, the shoots, the promotions etc. Everything else is built around that. It took some time to perfect it, but it works well for me now, giving me the opportunity to do all the things I love.