Global star Priyanka Chopra recently revisited an early setback from her Bollywood journey, recalling how she was removed from a film despite having signed a legal contract.
Speaking during a conversation at Harvard Business School, Priyanka shared that the incident occurred while she was shooting for the 2007 romantic drama Salaam-E-Ishq.
“The Director Gave You This Movie by Mistake”
Priyanka revealed that a male co-actor from a film she was scheduled to begin the following month visited her on the set of Salaam-E-Ishq. She initially believed he had come to offer encouragement ahead of their upcoming project.
Instead, she was informed that she would no longer be part of the film.
“He said, ‘The director gave you this movie by mistake. It was his mistake. This was always supposed to go to this other girl. But we will do another one together, don’t worry about it. I just wanted to tell you myself,’” Priyanka recalled. She added that he stayed briefly, had some food, and left.
At the time, she was 22 years old and described the project as a major opportunity in her career.
“My heart just crushed. I had signed a contract. What do you mean?” she said, adding that situations like this happened multiple times early in her career.
Early Career Struggles and Industry Politics
Priyanka made her Bollywood debut in 2003 with Andaaz alongside Akshay Kumar and Lara Dutta. During that era, several newcomers from film families were entering the industry, including Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, and Zayed Khan.
Reflecting on the topic of nepotism, she said she did not fully understand the term at the time.
“I didn’t know what nepotism meant then. I just knew that parents want the best for their children. That’s normal,” she explained. However, she gradually realized the limitations she faced as an outsider.
Priyanka shared that some films were “taken away” from her or that she was shifted from lead roles to supporting parts due to industry dynamics.
“I realized no one was making a movie for me. This person is not my uncle. I haven’t known them since childhood. The politics of it became very apparent,” she said.
Choosing Craft Over Setbacks
At one point, Priyanka admitted she considered returning to college, as she was still young enough to pivot her career. However, she decided instead to concentrate on refining her skills.
“I started focusing on my craft. That took me through my career and got me more work,” she said, adding that positive reviews encouraged her to seek diverse roles.
Priyanka was last seen in an Indian film in The Sky Is Pink (2019). She is now set to collaborate with filmmaker SS Rajamouli for his upcoming project Varanasi, which is currently slated for a 2027 release.
