Happy birthday Priyanka Chopra: Looking at her top 5 performances
It wouldn't be wrong to call global icon Priyanka Chopra the quintessential glass ceiling breaker. From winning the coveted Miss World title in 2000 to making a name for herself in Hollywood despite originally hailing from a different industry—she has done it all with unbelievable panache. Unsurprisingly, her oeuvre is embellished with multiple versatile roles. On her 40th birthday, we revisit five of them.
'Barfi'
Anurag Basu's career-best, Barfi is a memorable film, known for putting two disabled characters at its forefront, instead of simply viewing them through a pitiful lens. Chopra played the role of Jhilmil, a bubbly, autistic girl who develops an incredibly special bond with the titular Barfi, played by Ranbir Kapoor. Shattering her glam diva image, Chopra exceeded everyone's expectations with her realistic performance.
'7 Khoon Maaf'
An alluring, enigmatic, multilayered woman who dispatches seven husbands to death's door? Nobody apart from Chopra could have pulled this one off. The Vishal Bhardwaj thriller was adapted from Ruskin Bond's novella Susanna's Seven Husbands and co-starred Naseeruddin Shah, Neil Nitin Mukesh, and John Abraham. Chopra was felicitated with the Best Actress (Critics) Award at the 57th Filmfare Awards for this dark thriller.
'Fashion'
To talk about Chopra and not mention Fashion wouldn't do her justice. In this Madhur Bhandarkar directorial, Chopra played Meghna, a troubled model who worked her way up in a competitive, cut-throat industry. Fashion reinstated her dominance in the industry after a series of unfortunate flops and also won her the prestigious National Award. Chopra was only 27 when she won this acclaim!
'Aitraaz'
In one of the first films of her career, Chopra made a bold move by choosing to play a seductress femme fatale—something not many actors risk even when they are at the top of their game. In this Abbas-Mutsan courtroom thriller, her sizzling chemistry with Akshay Kumar, along with her villainous avatar catapulted her fame overnight and cemented her solid grip on the craft.
'Bajirao Mastani'
Bajirao Mastani is a film adorned with stars: Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, and Chopra. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's acclaimed historical drama focused more on the two titular characters, but it's a mark of Chopra's prowess that she didn't let herself be sidelined despite being the second female lead. Her characterization of Kashibai effectively underlined the pathos, heartbreak, and dejection of a woman wronged in love.
