Priyanka Chopra Jonas, our vivacious Desi Girl has penned a beautiful memoir – Unfinished. Right from her childhood to her current life, she has shared innumerable memories, adventures, and lessons that it provokes you to take a break from your mundane life and reflect on your ideologies, your actions and your life!
The mesmerizing hardbound book’s black cover has the magnanimous Priyanka Chopra Jonas staring at you, daring you to question all your limitations. Each word of her personal story in Unfinished is heart touching and inspiring.
The blurb of Unfinished resonates –
“When I saw how people were looking at me on my first day back at school in Bareilly – as if I were a fantastical, brightly coloured unicorn – I realized that I wanted to see myself that way, too.”
Lively and vibrant, this little Daddy’s girl has faced numerous hurdles in her life. However, never the one to give up, she has always triumphed over challenges in her own style and conviction.
Thus, as she shares her tale, her jovial tone gifts you a smile. Instantly, she connects with her readers … her audience. Moreover, she makes them question their personal and societal beliefs. The thought-provoking anecdotes of her life poke the centuries old rules, regulations, and discriminations in a sharp way.
Both her parents – Lieutenant Colonel Ashok Chopra and Doctor Madhu Chopra were Doctors in the Indian Army. With a soldier’s blood running through her veins (her Grandfather – Kasturi Lal Chopra was a subedar in the Indian Army), she was a person to face any challenges, strongly. She was planning to become an Aeronautical Engineer or a Criminal Psychologist! Thanks to her brother Siddharth Chopra – her career and her entire life took a glamorous turn.
If Priyanka’s Dad has been her strength, then Priyanka’s Mom has been her sparkling spirit. She has always seen them by her side, rock solid, no matter what. She dearly looks up to them and aspires to be like them.
In her words,
“Sink or swim. And if there was a choice, I was always going to do my damnedest to swim.”
Coyly, she reveals her shocking mischievous acts. One of these led to a grave scenario, where her Father had to be rushed to the hospital for an emergency surgery. She was too young to understand the seriousness of her actions, back then.
Little anecdotes and snippets about her likes and dislikes make up the book. Mashed potatoes are one of her favourites. However, do you know her special hors d’oeuvres – the bite-sized bits of heaven? Though a total foodie, she has been a shy eater in her initial days at America. Of course, with time and genuine friends, things changed.
Having ambitious parents who always respected each other and each other’s professions taught her to dream big. Also, this made her believe that nothing could stop her from achieving her goals, not even marriage. You just have to keep working hard and stay connected to your roots.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas makes a striking comment that proves her sincerity as an actor.
“A writer writes a film, and a director has a vision for it. As I see it, my job as an actor is to translate the words on the page into the compelling journey of my character between ‘Action’ and ‘Cut’! And that is why I love creating characters.”
Undoubtedly, as an Actor, she has given stunning performances. For instance, right from 7 Khoon Maaf, where she kills all her seven husbands to Barfi, where she portrays an autistic woman to enacting the real Mary Kom to posing as an elegant Marathi Queen in Bajirao Mastani, she leaves us spellbound.
The only thing that shattered her for a long time was her Dad’s departure to the heavenly abode. Reading about her pain had me in tears. She was absolutely gutted by her father’s loss. Yet, she sprang back, her sparkling self, when Nick Jonas entered her life and finally she is now living her dream with him.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas owns two homes in two different continents. During her twenty-year-long career as an actor and producer, she has also earned the title of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Losing her father to cancer and later marrying the charming Nick Jonas, her life story will propel the readers around the world to stay courageous, establish their ambitions, and always stay committed to their work even in the dire conditions.
Finally, Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ words to her readers that leave a deep impact even as you finish Unfinished are, “It is through my voice, I believe, that I can be of most use in this world.”
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