Priyanka Chopra has credited Bollywood icons Aishwarya Rai and the late Irrfan Khan for paving the way for her Hollywood journey.
While conversing at the annual Harvard India Conference with Anjula Acharia the Citadel actress spoke about how icons such as Aishwarya Rai, Irrfan Khan and Mindy Kaling helped open doors in Hollywood for her.
Chopra said, “I really do believe that I stand on the shoulders of amazing artists and talents that came before me. Aishwarya Rai, an icon when she was working in Hollywood, Irrfan Khan, of course, Mindy Kaling.”
She went on to say, “And I was able to push the door open and stand up for what I believe in because they did what they did.”
Shortly after the clip from the conference went viral the fans showered love on Priyanka as she praising the other celebrities.
One user noted, “Love her or hate her, Priyanka always uplifts her contemporaries and women in general.”
Another commented, “I agree. This is how you respect your contemporaries instead of being bitchy.”
The third mentioned, “Girl speaks so well, made me believe she is a girl’s girl.” Another added, “PC is so articulate.”
Priyanka Chopra’s Hollywood journey began in the early 2010s with singles like In My City (2012) and Exotic (2013).
She made her big-screen debut as Victoria Leeds in Baywatch and will next star in the pirate adventure The Bluff, releasing on Prime Video February 25, 2026.
