Priyanka Chopra's birthday: From 'Krrish' and 'Don' to the roles that changed her career

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is one of the leading ladies of Bollywood who has taken the Hindi film industry to a global platform. Making a balance between her career in the West and back home here in India, she is one of those Indian actors who proves that a career’s milestones are not necessarily driven by commercial hits.

Many of her projects, such as the ‘Don’ franchise, ‘Krrish’ franchise, and ‘Barfi!’ are films that became Bollywood blockbusters. Yet, it was her performances in ‘Fashion’, ‘Mary Kom’, ‘Quantico’, and ‘The White Tiger’ that transformed the way audiences, critics, and filmmakers viewed her.

As she celebrates her 44th birthday on Saturday, we take a look at how she went from being a commercially successful leading lady of Bollywood to a global icon.

‘Krrish’ to ‘Barfi!’, Bollywood films that made her a commercial star

For many in the industry, the definition of success is often driven by the numbers they gathered at the box office. The ‘Fashion’ actor’s career foundation is also based on a similar philosophy, where her string of commercial successes made her one of the most sought-after and bankable female stars in India.

Released in 2006, ‘Krrish’, featuring Priyanka opposite Hrithik Roshan, became one of her biggest commercial successes at that time. Helmed by Rajesh Roshan, the Indian superhero film went on to collect roughly Rs. 126 crore at the box office, including its name in the list of biggest Hindi blockbusters of that time.

After featuring in a superhero film, Priyanka stepped into action with ‘Don’ (2006) and ‘Don 2’ (2011), opposite Shah Rukh Khan. With these films that earned Rs. 106 crore and Rs. 203 crore worldwide, respectively, Priyanka built a glamorous yet action-packed star image.

But, one of the rare films that brought commercial as well as critical success to Priyanka is the 2012 Anurag Basu directorial ‘Barfi!’. Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Ilian D’Cruz, and her, ‘Barfi!’ brought critical acclaim to Priyanka for her performance as ‘Jhilmil’, an autistic woman. The film also went on to collect Rs. 175 crore worldwide, proving that she can mint numbers while also delivering one of the most challenging performances of her life.

Roles that changed Priyanka Chopra’s career:

While Priyanka has been delivering blockbusters over the decades, there are certain roles that have helped change her career trajectory and how she is perceived as an actor.

One such major breakthrough in her career came with Madhur Bhandarkar’s 2008 film ‘Fashion’. She played Meghna Mathur’s character, a young woman hailing from a small town and trying to make her mark in the world of fashion as a model. As Meghna, Priyanka made a shift from her conventional heroine roles. The film may not have won big numbers at the box office, but it certainly brought Priyanka her first National Film Award for Best Actress, further establishing herself as one of Bollywood’s finest actors.

After ‘Fashion’, Priyanka once again stepped out of her comfort zone and chose versatility as she played Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes in Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘7 Khoon Maaf’ in 2011. The complex character was a well-calculated risk Priyanka chose to take in her career. It may not have rewarded her in terms of box office numbers, but it certainly proved that she’s eager to experiment.

Another role that marked a turning point in Priyanka’s career was playing Olympic boxing champ Mary Kom in her biopic. With a modest theatrical run of Rs. 86 crore, Priyanka is hugely remembered for this film. She underwent a massive physical transformation or training to prove that she is highly capable of leading a biopic.

Priyanka Chopra’s ‘global moment:

After proving her mettle in India, it was time for Priyanka to move to the West and add more to her already established career. She was cast in the television series ‘Quantico’ as FBI recruit Alex Parrish, making her the first South Asian actor to headline an American drama.

Though ‘Quantico’s success cannot be measured by box office numbers, it’s a project that established Priyanka in the West. Its success not only proved that an Indian face can lead an American drama but also opened new doors for her.

Then, in 2021 came ‘The White Tiger’, which marked another major milestone in her career. She didn’t just act in it, but also stepped in as the Netflix film’s executive producer. ‘The White Tiger’ further cemented her place in global cinema.