Priyanka Chopra Jonas became one of the most talented actresses in Bollywood and also managed to carve a space for herself in Hollywood. However, the star made her debut in a Tamil film in 2002 with ‘Thamizhan’, alongside Thalapathy Vijay. In a recent interview, PeeCee’s mother, Madhu Chopra, shared insights about the actress’s experience on set.
In a conversation with Lehren Retro, Dr Madhu Chopra revealed how the former Miss World landed her debut role and what the experience was like. She recalled that Priyanka initially had no aspirations to pursue acting after her beauty pageant win and had even declined the offer to star in Thamizhan.

However, the film’s makers reached out to Priyanka’s father through her brother. Madhu revealed that it was ultimately Priyanka’s father who persuaded her to consider acting during her summer holidays. “She only did it because her father had given his word,” Madhu stated.
Madhu also reminisced about how Priyanka gradually developed respect for her co-star, Thalapathy Vijay. She mentioned that Raju Sundaram, the brother of Prabhu Deva, was the choreographer for the film’s dance sequences, which were quite challenging. However, Vijay, being a seasoned dancer, was incredibly patient with Priyanka. “She had to learn a new language, deliver dialogues, and dance. However, the Citadel actress soon adapted and became close friends with Thalapathy Vijay by the end of the film’s shoot,” Madhu revealed.
During filming, Priyanka faced challenges and was sometimes scolded for errors, which led the family to request the filmmakers to allow her to rehearse her lines and movements privately in the evenings. With time, she improved, and her efforts were finally recognised by the crew. Madhu also shared that as the shoot progressed, Priyanka began to enjoy acting.
On the work front, Priyanka has recently wrapped up shooting for ‘Head of State’ and ‘The Bluff’. She has also completed filming for the next season of ‘Citadel’.
Meanwhile, Thalapathy Vijay is currently working on Jana Nayagan, which will be his final film before stepping away from acting. Directed by H Vinoth, the political action drama boasts a star-studded cast, including Pooja Hegde, Mamitha Baiju, and Prakash Raj.