For July's InStyle, Priyanka Chopra got real about the American conception of the Indian film industry. The Quantico actress explained exactly why calling the multinational industry "Bollywood" is a stereotype she won't use.
"I don't like the word, because we're not a miniature Hollywood," she told InStyle. "We are the Indian film industry, one of the most prolific producers in the world...It's a ginormous business."
Before her starring role on Quantico, Chopra was a major player on her home nation's film scene. Calling it "Bollywood," she says, diminishes the field's true and unique creative skill.
"We are artists, people who know our jobs," she said. "You can put me in front of a camera anywhere in the world and I'll hit my mark and say my lines and give the director what he wants... I can break out into song and dance as well. I'm kick-ass at that too. That makes me a triple threat, not a stereotype."
Chopra has spoken out against the term previously. In June, the actress told BBC that though she's a newer face for American audiences, she's intent on bringing attention to the full beauty and talent of Indian films and stars.
"People think we're a spoof of Hollywood and we're not," Chopra said. "We're one of the most prolific film industries in the world. We speak Hindi which is spoken in one country, but 40% of our business comes from outside of India."
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