Priyanka Chopra: I will quit if I am satisfied

Priyanka Chopra

She had partied two nights in a row, chaired innumerable meetings and had just walked out of a press interaction for her debut Hollywood film, 'Baywatch', but still looked far from fatigued when we met her. Well, that's Priyanka Chopra for you. Before hosting her B-Town buddies later that day, we sat down with the desi girl for a quick tete-a-tete . Excerpts:

Aren't you tired?
A little bit, but not too much. Being tired is for the weak.

So how are the promotions of 'Baywatch' planned? It's quite unfortunate we won't get to see Dwayne Johnson in India…
Never say never. (Pause) But it looks difficult. We are yet to start full-fledged promotions. Last month, we met at CinemaCon in Vegas. I already know that the next month will be crazy. We are planning to promote separately so that we can cover more [cities]. We are doing two premieres - Berlin and Miami. It will be a good month of travel and madness.

Is it true that David Hasselhoff, Pamela Anderson and the old cast of 'Baywatch' will reunite at the premiere?
David and Pamela are in the film. About the rest, I am tightlipped.

Abbas-Mustan had told us that you nail the sinister avatar. Was the reassurance post Aitraaz's success a factor?
You can't compare. I decided to do Baywatch because it was exciting for me to play villain opposite six gorgeous lifeguards. It's an ensemble. I have watched the film, it's hilarious. It's rated R and so people presume it has sexual content. It's just that the jokes include F-words and thus, the rating. But it's a hysterical film. I instinctively reacted to the latent humour. But I consciously chose someone diametrically different from Alex [Parrish, her character in Quantico]. I played Alex because I didn't want to play stereotypes.

Is the juggling exhausting?
I will quit if I am satisfied. I am grateful at how much affection has come my way. Being an actor is difficult; I have been handling the public light since I was 17. I was thrown into it when most people were figuring out whether they are an adult or a child. I have faced brickbats, seen the highs, but I am finally in a space where I am getting some incredible work from both countries [India and the US]. I tend to get bored easily when I do the same things for a while. But yes, I have lots to do and am achieving it bit by bit. I have miles to go before I sleep.

The biggest fear for any debutante is failure…
I don't fear failure but I don't like it. I get grumpy when I fail, but I am not afraid to face it with the same sentiments of a debutante. I see the lives of celebrities as a marathon runner's. There is a lot riding on us in terms of responsibility. If an actor falls sick and the shoot is cancelled, 300 people don't get paid that day. I treat it like a marathon. I have learnt to respect everyone's job. I treat myself as an athlete and acquire that discipline. I work holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries. I have trained myself accordingly. There's a set goal, which I want to achieve and to get that, I know what it takes. There are no free lunches in this world.

Priyanka, who plays a baddie in 'Baywatch', had her first brush with a negative role with 'Aitraaz' (2004) opposite Akshay Kumar

You looked miffed when asked about Tom Hiddleston. Does the judgmental world or people fishing for details of your personal life get to you?
I am a public person; people are bound to have an opinion about my life and me. It is erroneous to imagine people will only write and say good things. Spotlight has its flip side; I am relevant and thus, they are talking about me.

I don't like being judged and thus, I don't judge others. I am a believer of the 'to each his own' theory. There is no right or wrong in this world, it's all about perspective.

Be it Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh or Shah Rukh Khan, most self-made stars are industry outsiders. What do you make of the nepotism debate?
All kinds exist. There is nothing wrong in being born into a family that has a legacy. Outsiders don't have a foot-in-the-door access. Star kids have insurmountable pressure of living up to the family name. Every star has their individual journey. In mine, I have faced a lot. I have been kicked out of films because someone else was recommended to the producer. I cried and got over it. Eventually, those who are meant to be success stories become that, despite all hindrances.