'Seeking to be better, have a bigger dream every day'

Mumbai: Actor, producer and entrepreneur Priyanka Chopra Jonas said she has a bigger dream every day, refusing to be daunted as she climbs the ladder of success step by step.

Priyanka, who grew up in the Uttar Pradesh town of Bareilly and has made a global name for herself, said her quest for excellence began when she won the Miss World title at the age of 18.

"It has to be a bigger dream every day. You shouldn't be overwhelmed, as then it can be daunting. It should be like when you climb a ladder, you have to step on each rung; you can't go from bottom to top," the 40-year-old actor told the top news agency.

The actor, who lives in Los Angeles and was in India this week for the first time since the pandemic, said establishing herself as a global star was not one of her childhood dreams. Fame just happened. She joined the Hindi film industry after her Miss World win. She started her acting career with the 2002 Tamil film 'Thamizhan' and made her Bollywood debut the following year with the Sunny Deol-led spy thriller 'The Hero'.

"I was 17 or 18 years old when I did my first movie. When I walked on the set with Sunny Deol, I was shaking and I was like, 'I have seen this person in movies since I was growing up'. It wasn't my reality. I come from a small town in Bareilly and my parents were doctors. We watched movies, but I didn't think I could ever be in them. But since my life went in that direction after I won a pageant. I was so young I didn't know what was thrust upon me," the actor, who is married to American singer Nick Jonas, added.

Hollywood beckoned after a series of acclaimed performances in Hindi cinema: 'Aitraaz', 'Fashion', 'Barfi', 'Mary Kom', 'Kaminey', '7 Khoon Maaf' and 'Bajirao Mastani'. After moving to the US, she released several singles, including 'In My City' and 'Exotic' and appeared in the popular TV show 'Quantico'. She also acted in films, including 'Baywatch', 'A Kid Like Jake', 'Isn't It Romantic' and 'The Matrix Resurrections'. She is now set for her first Hollywood film as a lead in 'Love Again', which is scheduled to release in May 2023.