Priyanka Chopra has spent over two decades in the entertainment industry and built a successful career across Bollywood and Hollywood. But before becoming a global star, the actress witnessed a different level of stardom during her very first film. Priyanka recently opened up about working with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor Vijay in the 2002 Tamil film Thamizhan and recalled being stunned by the fan frenzy around him.
The actress shared that working with Thalapathy Vijay gave her the first real taste of what fame looked like in the film industry. Priyanka revealed that she was amazed to see hundreds of fans gathering on set just to watch Vijay perform. Her comments have now gone viral online, with many fans revisiting the actress’ lesser-known Tamil film debut.
Priyanka Chopra Recalls Working With Thalapathy Vijay
During her appearance on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, Priyanka Chopra spoke about her debut experience in Tamil cinema before entering Bollywood.
She said, “It was a movie called Thamizhan in the Tamil language in India. I learned phonetically because it was impossible to learn a new language. But I memorised my lines. My first exposure to fame came from my first co-actor. His name is Vijay, who’s extremely popular.”
Priyanka further described the massive craze surrounding Vijay on set. The actress said, “There used to be hundreds and hundreds of people standing there to watch him while he was dancing or doing his thing. It was my first movie, and I had no idea what happened behind the scenes—we just saw what we saw in movie theatres. I remember thinking it must feel like being a demi-god.”
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Priyanka Chopra’s Journey From Miss World To Global Star
Priyanka Chopra won the Miss World crown in 2000 and soon entered the film industry. While she appeared in Thamizhan first, her Hindi film debut came with The Hero: Love Story of a Spy and Andaaz.
Over the years, she delivered memorable performances in films like Aitraaz, Fashion, Barfi!, Kaminey and Bajirao Mastani.
In 2016, Priyanka expanded her career internationally with the series Quantico. She later appeared in Hollywood projects including Heads of State and The Bluff.
Priyanka Chopra Once Recalled An Embarrassing Dance Incident
In an earlier interview with Vogue Arabia, Priyanka Chopra had also spoken about struggling with dance during the early phase of her Bollywood career.
She said, “I was a dreadful dancer when I first started. I was not able to act and nail the choreography at the same time, plus coordinate with my co-star. It was just too many things for my 19- or 20-year-old brain.”
The actress further recalled an incident involving choreographer Raju Khan during the shoot of Andaaz in South Africa.
Priyanka revealed, “He got so upset with me that he threw the mic down, saying – You might come from a pageant, but learn how to dance before you become an actress. He just walked away, and I was so embarrassed.”
After her recent projects Heads of State and The Bluff, Priyanka Chopra is now gearing up for Prime Video’s Citadel Season 2. The actress is also set to return to Indian cinema with SS Rajamouli and Mahesh Babu’s Varanasi.
