Priyanka Chopra is making it clear that her Hollywood success wasn’t built in a vacuum. The Citadel star recently took a moment to publicly acknowledge the Bollywood icons who she says paved the way for her journey in the West.
Speaking at the annual Harvard India Conference alongside Anjula Acharia, Chopra reflected on the artists who helped open doors long before she arrived. She specifically named Aishwarya Rai, the late Irrfan Khan, and Mindy Kaling as her predecessors and inspirations.
“I really do believe that I stand on the shoulders of amazing artists and talents that came before me,” Chopra said. “Aishwarya Rai, an icon when she was working in Hollywood. Irrfan Khan, of course. Mindy Kaling.”
She continued, emphasizing the debt she feels she owes to their efforts. “And I was able to push the door open and stand up for what I believe in because they did what they did.”
The clip from the conference quickly went viral, and fans flooded social media with praise for the actress’s grace and humility.
“Love her or hate her, Priyanka always uplifts her contemporaries and women in general,” one user noted.
Another added, “I agree. This is how you respect your contemporaries instead of being bitchy.”
A third fan commented, “Girl speaks so well, made me believe she is a girl’s girl,” while another simply stated, “PC is so articulate.”
Chopra’s own path to Hollywood began in the early 2010s with the release of singles like “In My City” (2012) and “Exotic” (2013). She made her big-screen debut as Victoria Leeds in the Baywatch film and is set to star next in the pirate adventure The Bluff, which is scheduled for release on Prime Video on February 25, 2026.
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