The star reveals she once lost out on a film role due to the colour of her skin.
She’s starred in big-name blockbusters, has appeared in Bollywood box-office smashes, and has a lead role in hit US TV series Quantico.
However Priyanka Chopra hasn’t found it all plain sailing during her rise in the industry.
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The actress, who was born in Jamshedpur, has recently revealed that her heritage has stopped her winning roles, and also opened up about pay disparity in the cut-throat film business.
“I was out for a movie, and somebody [from the studio] called one of my agents and said, ‘She’s the wrong—what word did they used?—‘physicality’,” Chopra told InStyle in a new interview.
“So in my defence as an actor, I’m like, ‘Do I need to be skinnier? Do I need to get in shape? Do I need to have abs?’ Like, what does ‘wrong physicality’ mean?’
“And then my agent broke it down for me. Like, ‘I think, Priy, they meant that they wanted someone who’s not brown.’ It affected me.”
The 35-year-old star, who was crowned Miss World in 2000, added that the gender pay gap in the industry is prevalent, both in her native India and the States.
“If an actor is getting 100 bucks, the conversation will start with max, like, 8 bucks. The gap is that staggering,” she told the US magazine.
“In America, we don’t talk about it as brashly, whereas in India the issue is not skirted around. I’ve been told straight up, if it’s a female role in a movie with big, male actors attached, your worth is not really considered as much.”
Despite such setbacks, Chopra is making big waves in the States as the first South Asian to headline an American network drama series – and she’s optimistic about the wave of changing currently shaking Hollywood.
“It’s going to take years, but we’re doing it. Our voices are louder. We’re standing by each other despite the fact that only a few women will eventually get the job,” she added to Instyle.
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“And I’m hoping that through the fight, it’s going to change for the next generation. I hope I’m a part of that revolution.”
So do we, Priyanka.
Images: Priyanka Chopra/Instagram
