Priyanka Chopra may be a global star today, but her journey to Hollywood was not easy. In a recent interview with Variety, the actor opened up about the bold decision she made almost a decade ago to leave Bollywood at the peak of her career and start fresh in the West.

Priyanka said that restarting her career in her 30s was “terrifying.” At that time, she was already one of the biggest and highest-paid actresses in India. She had delivered successful films like Mary Kom, Bajirao Mastani, and Dil Dhadakne Do. She was financially secure and well established. But still, she chose to take a risk.

“To restart your career in your 30s is terrifying. I was secure. I was doing well financially. I was established. And I chose to blow it up,” Priyanka shared.

She moved to the US around 2015 and first tried her luck as a singer before entering Hollywood as an actor. Her big break came with the American TV show Quantico, where she played the lead role. After that, she appeared in films like Baywatch and The Matrix Resurrections. Over the years, she has also led major projects like Citadel, Heads of State, and her upcoming film The Bluff with Karl Urban.

However, Priyanka revealed that the beginning was tough. She said she often faced stereotypes and preconceived ideas about her. “People would be like, ‘Oh, you speak English well,’” she recalled, adding that many had fixed notions about her even before meeting her.

Despite this, Priyanka did not want to accept roles just because she was seen as something “different” or “exotic.” She said she believed in “borderless entertainment” where actors from different countries work together and stories go beyond boundaries.

Now, after building a strong career in Hollywood, Priyanka is all set to return to Indian cinema. She will be seen in SS Rajamouli’s upcoming film Varanasi, which also stars Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran. The film is said to be a time-travelling adventure based on Indian history and is scheduled to release in April 2027.

Her last Hindi film was The Sky Is Pink, which released before the pandemic. With Varanasi, Priyanka will be making her comeback to Indian films after almost eight years.

Priyanka Chopra’s journey shows that sometimes taking a big risk can lead to bigger success. Even when it feels scary, believing in yourself can open doors to a whole new world.