Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas admitted in an interview that people from “her own (the South Asian) community” have picked on her often and that she felt a lot of negativity coming her way.
“I do notice a sense of protectiveness from a lot of people but also a sense of cynicism from a lot of people and a sense of negativity from a lot of people. Picking on me for no reason. I was talking about this to Mindy [Kaling] a couple of months ago. We were talking about, ‘Why is it that you get so much negativity from your own community’?” she explained.
The actor, who has starred in the American TV show Quantico, has been a part of Hollywood films such as Baywatch, Isn’t It Romantic, and A Kid Like Jake. She also emphasised the need for people to acknowledge the efforts of people who have pushed the bar for Bollywood.
“Very few brown people are in the entertainment business, you can count us on your fingers. We’re trying to create more opportunity for people like us so why is there so much negativity for us? When I started working in Hollywood I realised it’s not normal to people’s consciousness that a leading man or woman can be Indian in a mainstream Hollywood show.
“I’ve started noticing the difference between fans who know me and are protective of me and they are the wind beneath my wings. I also feel disheartened and discouraged by the other side,” she said.
Priyanka, who released her memoir ‘Unfinished’ on February 9, shared her thoughts on the journey she undertook in Bollywood and Hollywood, her experiences with racism and sexism, and the difficulties she faced with regard to her personal life.