When the news was announced that Priyanka Chopra was the new face of Guess, it created instant buzz about her being the first “brown” model connected with the international brand.
A former Miss World and currently one of Bollywood’s top actresses, Chopra now joins the list of notable celebrities who’ve endorsed Guess, which includes Claudia Schiffer and Anna Nicole Smith. Chopra also is one of the few Bollywood actresses who have managed to successfully cross over into western stardom – last year she launched herself onto the American pop music scene with her single In My City, which featured will.i.am.
Piggy Chops (a nickname that has stuck since childhood) remains unperturbed by the “brown” tag.
“In a way, it signifies that the world is becoming more and more borderless,” says Chopra. “I am a global citizen, just like everyone else, and I don’t have to change who I am to try to fit in or cater to a certain audience. That’s the message I think the world should take from this.”
The timing of her message couldn’t have been better. Just before her Guess endorsement was announced, Chopra received a slew of racist comments – including “Arab terrorist” – about her opening-act performance of the theme song for NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football in September.
But Chopra is stoic in the face of discrimination. “I don’t need to [respond] … my work speaks for itself,” she says. “The fact that I am the first Indian face for Guess and that the NFL chose my song to headline Thursday Night Football, which has been widely appreciated and accepted, is proof that the world is made up of so many more tolerant people than a few close-minded ones.”
For Chopra, who will inaugurate the Guess boutique with the brand’s chief executive Paul Marciano at Dubai Festival City today, the partnership marks a massive peak on her career chart. “I think deep down every girl wishes that she could become the Guess girl. This for me is an extension of my creative persona,” says the 31-year-old actress. “As an entertainer, the opportunity of becoming a global ambassador for Guess allows me to be able to connect with a wider audience.”
Working with the Canadian singer turned photographer Bryan Adams for the Guess shoot was a bonus. “It was very exciting to be shooting with Bryan, not only because he is one of my favourite artists, but also because of his understanding of what he wanted to achieve with the shoot,” she says about the black-and-white vintage-style ads the brand has become associated with under Marciano.
“Bryan was so focused, easy going and fun, which made the whole experience a memory I will carry for the rest of my life.”
And Chopra believes this is just the beginning. 2013, her 10th year in Bollywood, ended on a mixed note with the success of Krrish 3 and the super-flop Zanjeer, but her latest drama Gunday, in UAE cinemas now, has been a success.
She is currently working on a biopic about Mary Kom, the five-time world boxing champion from India (Chopra had to alter her daily regime to include six hours of boxing and two hours of gym and to stick to a vegetarian diet). She has also signed on to Zoya Akhtar’s forthcoming film Dil Dhadakne Do, alongside Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma and Farhan Akhtar. Chopra says she juggles so many projects because she wants to push herself to new heights. “Most people tell me I thrive on the stress and the hectic schedule and would, in fact, be a mess without it,” she says.
Will she be adding Hollywood to the mix? “I never plan my life … I try to make the best of the opportunity that is presented to me. I am very happy with the work I am doing in India and if something interesting comes up from the west I will definitely consider it.”
aahmed@thenational.ae
