Priyanka Chopra ‘lost movies’ after she refused to do certain scenes, mother Madhu supported her: ‘Tehzeeb, tameez ke dayare mei…’

Though Priyanka Chopra struggled while doing movies, she never had pressure from her family to do well in the film industry. She was told she always had the option to choose another career.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | April 5, 2023 04:26 PM IST

4 min read

Priyanka Chopra's mother Madhu Chopra has also been her manager. (Photo: Priyanka Chopra/Instagram)

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Citadel actor Priyanka Chopra has always had a companion in her mother, Madhu Chopra, from the time she stepped into the world of glamour. Madhu Chopra has also been her daughter’s manager during the initial years of her career in movies. In a recent interview, she admitted that initially, it was ‘blind leading the blind’ as both Priyanka and she were newcomers to Mumbai. They had no idea about how the film and beauty industry works.

“Both, she and I were new to the film industry and the beauty industry. So, it was like one blind man leading another blind man. I had studied law and knew finance. So, I used to oversee her legal matter though she had good lawyers. I also overlooked her finances because I had knowledge. I had to be with her everywhere, be it narrations or meetings,” Madhu shared with Josh Talks Asha recently.

But one day, the mother-daughter duo decided on a time frame in which they will work. Madhu said, “One day we decided that she (Priyanka) will not have any meetings, she will not go out anywhere, she will not fraternize after 7-7.30 in the evening. She stood firm on this decision. Aur fir kya karegi, kya nahi karegi, tehzeeb-tameez ke dayare ke andar, vo usne nahi kiye (Also, things which she won’t do while staying within her limits, she didn’t do). She lost many films because she refused to do some scenes which she thought are not worth it.”

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But Priyanka never had pressure from her family to do well in the film industry. She was told she always had the option to choose another career. “We always told her, this is not ‘Do or die’. You can always go back, take up studies, or take up some other career. You have a lot of options. If not this, then that,” Madhu shared.

Madhu Chopra also ensured that her daughter grows up with an abundant self-confidence and self-love. The one phrase that Madhu always told Priyanka was, “Tum apne aap ko chavanni manogi, chavanni jaise behave karogi, toh duniya tumhe chavanni jaise treat karegi, apne aap ko rupaiya samjho, bada samjho, rupaiya jaisa behave karo… be proud (If you will consider yourself to be less, people will treat you like that. Think big and behave accordingly).” But while ensuring that Priyanka knows her self-worth, Madhu also made sure that she doesn’t forget etiquette. “We drew a line there. You cannot misbehave or ill-treat anyone. And we stick by it even today,” Madhu added.

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While Madhu Chopra empowered her daughter, Priyanka also made sure her mother grows in her career. “I gave her my hand and she gave me her hand. When she was shooting for Dostana in Florida, it was a two-month shoot, so I did my courses in cosmetology. I came back to India with certification. That is when Priyanka insisted on me opening a cosmetology clinic in Mumbai. She said everybody needs it,” Madhu narrated.

Now, that Priyanka is married and well-settled in both her personal and professional lives, Madhu Chopra just wants to play her role of a grandmother to Malti Marie Chopra with utmost dedication. “Mere liye naani role sabse zyada important hai (For me, the role of a grandmother is the most important),” she said. Malti is the firstborn of Priyanka and her husband Nick Jonas.

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