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    Start-up investor, social media queen, UN ambassador: How Priyanka Chopra crafted a global portfolio beyond cinema

    Synopsis

    Chopra will next be seen in ‘The Sky is Pink’ and Barry Levinson’s Maa Anand Sheela biopic.

    priyanka-chopra-gettyGetty Images
    Priyanka Chopra made her Cannes debut this year at the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival.
    A global star, singer, former Miss World, and often touted as Bollywood’s most successful crossover to Hollywood, it’s difficult to label Priyanka Chopra. The desi girl from Bareilly has gone on to be not just a bonafide Bollywood diva, but also an international sensation making it to global power lists, most-influential people rankings, among several others.

    But it’s not just power lists for the actress last seen in Netflix’s ‘Isn’t It Romantic’. India’s famous B-town export in recent years, she has been spotted hobnobbing with Hollywood’s crème de la crème at the Met Gala, in the front row at the biggest fashion weeks, and even at the royal wedding, thanks to her friendship with Meghan Markle.

    ​Priyanka Chopra with Abigail Spencer ​at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.Getty Images
    Priyanka Chopra with Abigail Spencer at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

    But the recognition seems to only push Chopra, who turns 37 today, to do more. Shuttling between continents, PeeCee, as she is known to friends and colleagues, has managed to build a global following while maintaining the one she enjoys back home in India - on Instagram alone she has over 43 million followers.

    The star, who started earning at the age of 17 after winning the Miss India crown and Miss World title - that reportedly comes with a $100,000 cash prize - continues to add to her extraordinary, multifaceted career.

    The ‘Barfi’ actress turned producer in 2015 when she launched her production house Purple Pebble Pictures, along with mom Madhu Chopra, in Mumbai. As with most things, Chopra didn’t follow the popular path when it came to her choice of films with her production house, and rather focussed on regional cinema, producing Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Marathi, Sikkimese projects. She will reportedly also produce and star in a big, fat, Indian wedding comedy in Hollywood alongside Mindy Kaling.
    ​Priyanka Chopra at the Giorgio Armani Prive Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2017-2018 show at the Paris Fashion Week.Getty Images
    Priyanka Chopra at the Giorgio Armani Prive Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2017-2018 show at the Paris Fashion Week.

    In 2018, just before she tied the knot with singer Nick Jonas in what was an extravagant affair spread over three days in Jodhpur, the Padma Shri recipient added another feather to her cap - turning investor. While several Bollywood celebrities have invested in fitness, food and fashion related start-ups, Chopra - who aspired to become an aeronautical engineer while growing up - chose put her money in tech, backing Whitney Wolfe Herd’s dating app Bumble. Her other stint as investor also focuses on tech and women. Chopra was part of a $8.2 million funding round for the Holberton School of Software Engineering.

    Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas at the Chopard Love Night dinner in Cannes. ​Getty Images
    Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas at the Chopard Love Night dinner in Cannes.

    Always ready with something new up her sleeve, Chopra, in March this year, dabbled with digital content, turning interviewer for YouTube. In the 'If I Could Tell You Just One Thing' special for the video-streaming platform, she interviewed designer Diane von Furstenberg, actress-rapper Awkwafina, and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.

    With the amount of buzz every thing the star does creates, it comes as no surprise, that she is already penning her memoir, 'Unfinished' with Penguin Random House.

    But, professional commitments and success apart, the Padma Shri recipient also found time to do some good for the world as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and UN Foundation Girl Up champion. Inspired by Anjelina Jolie, she also runs the Priyanka Chopra Foundation for Health and Education.

    View this post on Instagram

    The truth is quite simple...the future of this world lies in the hands of the children of today. But the harsh reality is that there is an entire generation of innocent children growing up right now without any prospects for thier future...these children are affected by displacement due to serious conflict and emergencies in thier various regions. When families are forced to leave their homes due to violence, persecution, and natural disasters, they are torn apart and it's the children that end up suffering the most. The numbers are staggering, yes...but we have to continue to stand for them, in whatever capacity we can as individuals. They are the future and we need to help. Join me and @unicef by clicking the link in my bio to help keep refugee children safe. #AChildIsAChild #WorldRefugeeDay

    A post shared by Priyanka Chopra Jonas (@priyankachopra) on





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