Look Profile of Priyanka Chopra

Miss World 2000, Priyanka Chopra was Born on 18th July 1982 to the family of Capt. Dr. Ashok Chopra & Dr. Madhu Chopra. Priyanka Chopra had a very varied upbringing. She started her Education from La Martiniere Girls College in Lucknow as a resident student, A short stay at Maria Goretti College in Bareilly prepared her for further studies in the USA. Having completed class 10th from Boston USA she decided to become a software Engineer or a Criminal Psychologist.

This 5′8″ girl likes Indian music and dance, flair for writing poetry and short stories, enjoys reading, especially biographies, and has worked for a lot of social welfare programmes. She aims for the stars after completing her education. She is a movie buff and would love to join the galaxy if a good offer comes.

Priyanka Chopra is the latest of beauty queens to join the Bollywood bandwagon. She began her film career with Andaaz opposite Sunny Deol.

She has done Aetraaz with Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor.

Just A Minute With: Priyanka Chopra

MUMBAI, Jan 7 She is the girl with the golden touch. In the past few years, Priyanka Chopra has cemented her place as one of the most bankable heroines in Bollywood.

From "Dostana" to "Kaminey", the dusky 27-year-old is experimenting with different roles but admits that at times she prefers to do "simplistic films".

Chopra spoke to Reuters about her new film "Pyaar Impossible", why she may not get any awards this year and how 2009 fared in her books.

Q: What made you say yes to "Pyaar Impossible"? It seems like a regular love story.

A: "When Uday Chopra and Jugal Hansraj came to me I think even they were not sure whether I would do the film, but what appealed to me was the simplicity of the script. At that point I was doing films like 'Kaminey' and 'What's Your Raashee'. I had just finished 'Fashion', all of which were very difficult films. The simplicity of the love story was something I really liked."

Q: Your roles in the last couple of years have really differed. How do you see your growth as an actor during this time?

A: "I feel that I have just recently understood what acting really is and what I can do. I was very young when I started out, I was just 17. So now I am like a kid in a toy store. In every film, I want to do something different. I want to do different kinds of roles, different kinds of looks. I am very grateful for the last five or six films that I have done, because they have given me that kind of space."

Q: Now that awards season is coming up, do you have any hopes from any of your films in 2009?

A: "Well, I don't know about that. I am excited. 'Kaminey' got a great response for me. People loved my work in the film and it was something I didn't expect. Anyway I try not to have expectations. Plus, I am not going to be in India at that time, and you know how awards are, you have to be there."

Q: How has 2009 been for you?

A: "It was great. I won my Best Actress (award) this year for 'Fashion'. 'Fashion' was really special because it was such a girl's movie and was so heavy on me. The fact that a film like that did the business that it did, made me feel really good about myself. A lot of people said who is going to watch a female-centric film, but it had a great opening despite being an A- certificate film. 'What's Your Raashee' didn't do as well as it should have, so that upset me. I had put in a lot of work into the film but that is my job. As an actor you have to put you heart and soul into every film."

Q: You had two of your toughest roles in "What's Your Raashee" and "Kaminey".

A: "Yes, both were hugely tough roles. 'Kaminey', especially because the character came from a background I didn't identify with at all. It was crucial that Sweety had an intrinsic earthiness to her, which was difficult for me.

"It is easier for me to do 'Dostana'. That is why I was hugely surprised when I got the reviews that I got for this film. It might be a risky proposition but what's the point if you don't push the envelope? There will be a time when you do a film that you know will do well, and even I will do those films once in a while."

Q: You've also been accused of overworking, pushing yourself a lot. Is that true?

A: "Come on, I just fell ill during two films. During 'Dostana' I was working hard, I had two films releasing at that point. But imagine I was talking to you slowly and without any energy. How boring would I be. I love my energy and I am at my happiest when I am on set."

Q: Have people been telling you to slow down?

A: "My parents told me for a while… but who listens to parents anyway? (laughs). I did listen, I went for a holiday, I am obedient like that. But then I came back and wanted to work. Now my mother has given up on me. I love people, I love my work."

Q: Which films are in the pipeline?

A: "Well, there is 'Anjaana Anjaani' with Ranbir Kapoor which is a love story with a fresh twist to it. Then I am starting Vishal's (Bhardwaj's) film which will be my most difficult film, even though I know I say that about every film. It is like a dark comedy and it's a part which is so brilliantly written. We have lots of male leads in the film -- there are about seven husbands in the film. But I cannot say anything more about it."

'3 Idiots' makers, Chetan Bhagat fight over story credit

MUMBAI, Jan 3 – Author Chetan Bhagat has accused makers of the film '3 Idiots', modelled after his best-selling debut novel 'Five Point Someone', of not giving him credit for the story.

Bhagat, who sold the rights of his book to producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra, sparked off a row after he posted a message on his Twitter account on Saturday accusing the '3 Idiots' team of "negating his contribution."

"They (film makers) added a story credit right upfront, without my name, negating my contribution. That is the issue," Bhagat wrote.

The allegations followed a blog post in which he accused the makers of '3 Idiots' of "copying an original story and claiming it to be different."

The team of '3 Idiots' responded by accusing the best-selling author of "lying".

"Bhagat has signed a contract with us, giving us the right to modify or change the story. The contract also clearly states that credit shall be given to him in the rolling credits of the film, which was duly done," director Rajkumar Hirani said.

Bhagat was paid an amount of Rs 9.9 lakhs for rights of the film, according to a document posted on Chopra's website.

Bhagat, who has written four books so far and is one of India's most successful authors, said he was hurt that the credit for the story of the film went to Hirani and co-writer Abhijat Joshi.

Chopra himself landed in controversy at a press conference in New Delhi on Friday after he asked a journalist to "shut up" if he hadn't read the book.

Chopra apologised to the media later, but by then the issue had turned into a mini-storm, with television channels replaying footage of his outburst and social networking sites like Twitter abuzz with comments.

Bollywood has been going through a low-key 2009 and "3 Idiots", which released on December 25, has brought some cheer to the industry. The film grossed over Rs 100 crore in four days and is on its way to becoming one of the biggest hits of last year.

Bollywood eyes good scripts, tight budgets in 2010

MUMBAI, Jan 6 - A focus on better scripts, tighter budgets and diligence are going to be the watchwords for Bollywood as the world's largest film industry looks to consolidate itself in 2010.

Industry insiders said Bollywood would look to hold back in the new year after Rajkumar Hirani's "3 Idiots" brought some cheer at the end of an otherwise bleak 2009.

"The industry will take a sobering pause in 2010. There will be diligence in terms of scripts and budgets," Sanjeev Lamba, CEO of Reliance Big Pictures, one of India's biggest production houses, told Reuters.

Bollywood spent more than 15 billion rupees and released 120 films last year, but only a handful of those made it to the list of successes.

A three month-long standoff between producers and multiplex owners also hit business.

"There has to be a sense of reality regarding the remuneration that various talents associated with a film get and the amount of revenue that a film is likely to make. Hopefully that should happen in 2010," Lamba said.

Reliance Big Pictures has as many as four mainstream Hindi releases lined up in the first half of the year, including the Hrithik Roshan starrer "Kites" and Mani Ratnam's "Ravan".

Other production houses are focusing on content.

"2010 will see a lot more importance being given to scripts rather than other peripherals," said Sidharth Roy Kapur, CEO of UTV Motion Pictures.

"We didn't see a lot of that in 2009. Content will be the way to go."

WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO?

The first half of 2010 will see some heavy-duty releases, including Karan Johar's much anticipated "My Name is Khan", starring Shah Rukh Khan, to be distributed by Fox Star Studios worldwide.

"Kites" will be released simultaneously in English and Hindi while "Ravan", starring Abhishek Bachchan and wife Aishwarya Rai, is set for release in June.

"The first half of the year will set the tone … 'Ravan', 'Kites' and 'My Name is Khan' will decide how well the industry does for the rest of the year," says Vajir Singh, executive editor of Box Office India.

The second half of the year will see films like Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Guzaarish", starring Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan, the Aamir Khan-starrer "Dhobi Ghaat" and Rajnikanth's "Robot" hitting movie screens across India.