Priyanka Chopra Jonas might be a global icon today, but her journey to stardom wasn’t without its battles. From dealing with family resistance to making life-changing sacrifices, her mother, Dr Madhu Chopra, was the true force behind Priyanka’s rise to stardom. Recently, the proud mom opened up about the challenges she faced within her patriarchal family while supporting Priyanka’s participation in the Miss India pageant back in 2000.
Dr Madhu Chopra recently had a candid conversation on the Something Bigger Show, sharing various anecdotes from Priyanka Chopra’s journey from a normal family to the Miss India pageant. Talking about the beginning of her career, Madhu recalled that pageantry was not exactly on Priyanka’s agenda. At that time, Priyanka was in the 12th grade, preparing for board exams, and her first hurdle was convincing her late father, Dr Ashok Chopra. Madhu shared in the interview:
“Priyanka was studying in 12th standard and was about to give her board exams, so telling her dad and convincing him to say yes during her gap year was another task. Both the kids came and kept asking him. He said, ‘Boards are not easy, let her study, don’t bring in all these distractions’.”
It was Priyanka’s mother who stood by her and reminded her husband that such opportunities were rare and that it was only a week’s matter. With some persistence and some effort from Priyanka and her younger brother, Siddharth, Dr Ashok finally gave in. And then, one victory led to another, ultimately culminating in her selection for Miss India.
Dr Madhu Chopra recalled that winning over Ashok was just the beginning. The real challenge came from Priyanka’s bade papa, the family patriarch, who outright rejected the idea. Talking about her uncle, Madhu shared:
“He was like the patriarch of the family. We went to his place and told him everything, then I told him that she has to go to Bombay for the training. He was absolutely against it. He said, ‘You people are putting ideas into your child’s head. Girls from our family don’t do this’. We heard a lot, Priyanka cried a lot. She thought bade papa would melt but he said no. Then, I spoke to his wife and said, ‘Again the same thing. It's an opportunity, it’s not like she is going away from home. If she makes it, fine, if she doesn’t, she goes back to school. There is no pressure on her.”
Ultimately, Madhu’s persistence paid off. The next morning, her uncle gave his approval, but with one major condition. His condition was that Madhu should leave her medical practice and accompany Priyanka to every shoot and event. Without hesitation, she agreed. Recalling that time, she shared:
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“I promised him I would be there every step of the way. My husband even offered to take care of the practice so I could focus entirely on Priyanka’s career.”
Fast forward to today, Priyanka Chopra Jonas is a household name. Not only did she bag the 2000 Miss India title but became a big name in Bollywood. She’s now an international face, starring in the action-packed Hollywood series, Citadel. Priyanka is now working on the upcoming film, Heads of State alongside John Cena and Idris Elba.
Well, now we know exactly why Priyanka Chopra once called her mother her hero!
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