You don't have to be on one solitary journey, we put too much pressure on ourselves to function, we create boxes and glass ceilings for ourselves because we're like, oh, this is the only way I can be. And that's where you are successful. There's no black or white in the world. Everyone lives in Gray's.

Hey, everyone, welcome back to you on purpose, the number one health podcast in the world, thanks to each and every single one of you that come back every week to listen, learn and grow. Today's guest is someone that I've been looking forward to interviewing for a very long time. I believe that she was actually one of the first names on my list when I launched the podcast two years ago of someone that I was really excited to sit down with.

So to me, this is a super special moment and I think you're in for a real treat. Today's guest is the one and only Priyanka Chopra. And today we're talking about her new memoir, Unfinished for the two people who are listening who don't know who. Barangays Branca is an actor, singer and film producer. She's been in the entertainment industry for over 20 years that spans both the east and West. Her Bollywood superstardom began when she won Miss World 2000, and she hasn't slowed down since from starting her own production company and now having so many successful hit movies and TV shows in the U.S. and of course, most recently marrying her beloved Nick Jonas.

Priyanka story is remarkable, to say the least. And you can pick up her book, Unfinished on February 9th. Please welcome to the show on purpose. Priyanka Chopra. Jonas, thank you.

It's all right. Everyone forgets that. I'm sorry. Am sorry. You know, it's an it's a new edition and it's you know, I've had 35 years of my life as just Priyanka Chopra, and most people know me as just that. So, you know, it's going to take a second. It's fine.

I have been watching you for so many years, since I was since I was a kid. And obviously, you're a kid, too, when when you started in the industry. And so I've been hearing your name and saying your name for so long. But no, no offense, Nick. My wife is also the same. She she has her she has my name last on her name too. So people forget me all the time. So we have something in common.

But it's not really forgetting you. It's forgetting your last name. That's true.

That's true. Thank you. Thank you for the clarification that that makes my my ego feel a bit better. But honestly, it's such a joy to have you here. I meant what I said when we first launched the podcast. You were you were one of the first names that I wrote down as someone that I was excited to speak with. And I saw a few days ago on Instagram, you posted a picture of yourself at age 17. And it was it was a great throwback.

And I was wondering two things. The first thing is what is a piece of advice that you wish you had at 17 and the other way around? Is there a piece of advice or wisdom that your 17 year old self would potentially share with you now where you are today? Yeah, I have actually answers for both what I would tell that 17 year old, you know, I was bright eyed, bushy tailed, had just been selected into the Miss India pageant and just turned 17.

And I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm going to be a model. And I've never thought about that. My teenage vanity was piqued.

And what I would have told that girl is, you know, just breathe and just chill a little. I was very hard on myself because everything that I thought of, everything that I've made so far, you know, with the encouragement of my family, has kind of been self-made. You know, I had to learn on the job. Nobody I didn't know anything. I came from in high school and an engineering background or I wanted to be an engineer and life just kind of had other plans.

And, you know, you kind of are you going to swim? Are you going to sink? And I will always swim. So I've just kind of it's I think that what I would tell I used to really take it very seriously. I berated myself a lot and I was hard on myself. And I would tell my younger self, chillout time heals everything. It'll all be fine. And what she would probably tell me is to not get caught up in.

Um, in my schedule and in the multiple things that I juggle and not forget the excitement of doing what I'm doing, sometimes it's hard. You know, after you do it for such a long time, you have to remind yourself to be excited and be inspired and, you know, feel sort of alive instead of it being a job. And, yeah, I think that's what she would tell me. I love that that's a beaut. Both of those are beautiful answers, and I want to toss that to you because I think often we think like, oh, we have the wisdom now and we can advise our younger selves.

But in the way you shared your answer, there is there's so much wisdom coming back. And and I think that's a great reminder for everyone. Now, I saw a video again on your Instagram where you just received the book a couple of days ago. I had the digital version up until this morning when I finally got the physical version. So I've been flicking through on the digital version. It's nice to have it physically here.

I'm intrigued that, you know what chapter of your life you spoke about excitement there. What chapter of your life was the most exciting to reflect and write upon? Because it's such a fascinating thing to to write a memoir. But which one which part of it was your favorite of going through? Um, my childhood, because I hadn't thought about it for a really long time, you know, I was in fact just writing the memoir was so healing and weirdly sort of inspiring and healing.

And I, I just remember never remembering, you know, I sat down to write it and I had never thought about what had happened in my life. I never looked back.

I was only running, you know, as you know, the entertainment business. Our jobs are very transitory. You know, it's not consistent. It's not stable. What you are as much as your next job. You don't know where your next checks coming from. You don't know where you're going to be moving. So, you know, there's a constant, like hustle and you're running all the time. And I just never looked. And when I started writing the book, I was forced to look and I was very excited to write about my childhood because I could taste it.

I could smell it.

I remember those Mogra flowers, the kirani that used to be in all the Army barracks. I remember, you know, the feeling of the the cold walls. They used to always be white, the garden, my bike, um, moving to a new city every two years. It was that was it was such a time of adventure for me and a time of sort of unlimited possibilities, you know. And I was raised with that. My parents always made me feel like I could.

The world is my oyster, you know, I can go anywhere I want.

And that was such a time of wonder, you know?

Yeah, well, it's beautiful that you have such strong, vivid memories. And it sounds like and I'm thinking about our audience that's listening and watching or we'll listen and watch this afterwards. It sounds like everyone needs to revisit their childhood or remember and and write a memoir. Even if it's not a memoir that gets published and goes out to the world. It almost feels like reflecting is really important. What what helped you? Were you speaking to friends from back then or what?

You speaking to your you know, who are you connecting with to reignite some of those memories?

Oh, everyone in the memories. You know, I called my mom, my brother, my cousins, who I grew up with friends from the time I corroborated the stories, because memory is a weird thing. You know, I remember at a certain way somebody else was at a certain way. And there was this one story I remember I was kicked out of MoMA for touching a painting when I was fifteen, sixteen or something.

And I remember that day being wonderful because we went to the Statue of Liberty after and like, you know, we we got hot dogs and we were walking around New York City and I remember it being like, oh, I touched, you know, a painting that's so cool that I touched. I think it was a starry night. And my cousins that were with me remember the day completely differently. They were tortured, embarrassed. My cousin was an art student.

She was like, you got me kicked out of MoMA. And like I was like, wow, I didn't remember that.

Well, that's brilliant. Was that your was that your rebellious side or was that a mistake? Or was it curiosity? I was just curious, I just I feel like rules sometimes. And trust me, I mean, I'm in a public profession and I have to follow them, but, you know, sometimes we conform to rules that just sort of stop our ability to grow.

And unless it's like hurting someone or something, which by touching story at night, I probably was hurting the painting. But at that time, I didn't know the value of the painting. The value of the painting just went up. It just went up.

But, you know, like otherwise, I think, like, you've got to sometimes you have to push the envelope.

There's been too many generations that have been defined by what people think, you know, we can achieve or, you know, limitations that have been imposed because of people not being able to think or dream big enough. And I think it's every generation's responsibility to show the endless possibilities to the next.

Yeah, you've definitely done that. I mean, you're constantly breaking rules in in your career and your journey, starting from touching that pain to get Mama all the way through today. But was that was that an energy and a mindset that you believe you had at that young age, or is that something you think you gradually developed? Where did that confidence come from? Because when I hear you say today, it comes with confidence, obviously it comes with having done it.

And I think there are a lot of people out there who may feel that way, but they then also feel insecure that are they the right person to do that? Do they have permission to do that? There's there's something that then still holds them back. What was it for you that allowed you to go all the way?

Well, two things. My parents for sure. I grew up in an environment where I was not shamed for my ideas. At 12 years old, I told my parents I wanted to live in America with my aunt. And, you know, my parents were like pipes. You know, it was fine. We had a logical pro and con conversation. I was raised sort of to have opinions even if the room was hostile. So I think that really gave me a sense of self.

And I think it's really important in parenting for us to treat our children like they are developing their own minds, because that's so important for them to have a sense of self and feel like, you know, they're not robots, but they're actually thinking and they have a say in their decisions. It really lends for adults being able to have a sense of confidence.

And second, to really understand and accept that confidence is not something you always need. You don't you know. So put it in a backpack. It's OK. Give it a break. Let it be in your purse. Let it be in your wallet. Let a chill for a second, feel insecure, feel like scared, feel afraid, feel vulnerable.

But when you need the confidence and you walk into that room, you'll have it because you didn't keep using it.

You didn't need to constantly have a, you know, cover of or sort of like a uniform of confidence. You don't want to always show confidence. You don't have to exude confidence. You never you don't you just have to pull it out when you need it. And then when it's in the reserve, it's so much more powerful because you're allowing yourself to be all the things. I feel insecure. I'm terrified that this book is coming out. It's the first time I've ever written and I've never been so personal.

In my whole life, I've been a public person. 20 years, never scratched beneath the surface, I've gotten away with sharing whatever I wanted to share about my life and not more. You know, my stories. People think they know it, but it really doesn't.

And I've managed that for 20 years. But I think I know on the other side of 35 was feeling a sense of confidence and a sense of self in my capabilities, in what I bring to the table. It only took 20 years for me to get there, but I got there. And I think all those insecurities that I addressed in my book don't scare me that much anymore as they did at that time. As you know, the worry about me.

And I was like, I don't wanna talk about it. Nobody needs to know about my life. And, you know, but now I'm at a place where I'm just like, well, it's still on my terms. And, you know, I'm hoping that people maybe get to know me a little bit more than a fashion meme or a headline or something like that. Yeah, I think that's what I love about it from the few pages that I've I've flicked through, I definitely see you allowing yourself.

And that's that's the power of a book, though. And so I relate to that insecurity. My first book came out last September, and I know and I was your first book. I was so have it. I was going, oh, that's awesome. I'm so glad you have it. I was I was so nervous. So I can. I know what you mean by that and especially for you at this stage in your career of yours is a memoir.

Mine had part stories. It wasn't a memoir. So I can only imagine. But I see you doing that and books are so powerful for that. And that's why I really hope everyone is listening and watching right now. If you're enjoying this conversation, go and pick up the book, because I do think that media, the news that the short meem, the clip, it portrays such a limited view of of someone like yourself. A superficial view, really?

Yeah. Yeah. And it's OK. It's a choice. Also, I yes, I want to for people to consume only a part of me, you know, I want to be able to preserve my humanity, my family, my life, my opinions. I may have chosen a public profession, but I'm not an elected official. I don't owe an explanation to anyone for the choices that I make. You know, I'm here to create work. I'm doing a job just like everybody else.

My name happens to be in entertainment and it happens to have a lot of cameras on my face. It's fine. You know, I made a I made that deal with the devil. So I've kind of made peace with the fact that I prefer it being from a distance.

But at the same time, I think now I've been a public person for more than half my life. It's my normal. And only now have I reached a point where I'm. Allowing the walls to sort of fall down and letting whoever wants to know me get to know me as the person that I am, before that, I was very protective of who I was because maybe I was insecure about who I was or I was.

I still didn't have a sense of self, I don't know. But I think in the journey of life, I've reached a place where, you know, I'm good with who I am.

So, yeah, well, that's wonderful to hear, by the way. And I get a feeling of your energy. What's the part of yourself in this book that you share that you think most people are going to be surprised by, where you think that people may just be like what? Like and I'm sure there's many, but what's something that stands out? It's there there are a few, which I think people may be surprised by, that I was vulnerable enough to discuss and I think my my failures, my struggles, rejections, sadnesses that I've never really people have never seen.

I always wear a brave front. Most women in, like, you know, tough jobs have to always have, like a little bit more of a stronger front to be taken seriously. I built that very early at 18 to be thrown into the limelight of this job. I mean, you know, you've been in it for such a long time. You know, it's a crazy profession.

The expectations, the pressure, you know, to deliver under that scrutiny, to be artistic, to get to have a point of view, to be unique, not, you know, have your own trajectory, because that's the only way it'll work. You have to always have a sense of evolution. So it was really, really scary in the beginning. And I think everything just changes with time. And this was one of the good changes that came out of it for me.

Yeah, no, absolutely. And I'm hoping that I wonder, do you think that's changing now if someone's coming into the entertainment industry today at 18, or do you think it hasn't changed where your perception on that when you're guiding young artists or seeing people that you follow on social media or, you know, whatever it may be, are you feeling it's changing, has improved or.

No, the pressure. You mean not the pressure more the like you were saying, like you when you came into the industry, you had to put on a brave front, you had to wear that face. It was the only way to survive. Do you feel it's the same now for young talent as well? I think well, I was talking about definitely as a female, yes, yes, as a female in business. Yes, as a female.

Yes, I think so.

I think, you know, it's still hard when you're starting out for women to be taken seriously, for your ideas to be given the kind of credence that a man would as quickly probably, you know, especially in professions where, you know, normally you don't see women because, you know, women have never been pushed in that direction or women have never wanted to go in that direction because it was never normalized for them that their ambitions could go in that direction.

Business, politics, you know, to be heads of companies, engineering was like, you know, coding, policy making like stuff like that.

Lawyers, women have just about in the last few generations been coming to the fore. And, you know, our standing next to Nick with guys. But it's still an anomaly. It's still not as normal in terms of numbers. It's still not equal. So until that happens, I think it'll will be hard for, you know, young girls to be taken seriously when they come into professions that are predominantly male. Yeah, but it's OK. You know, women before us have fought the fight and women after us will fight the fight.

It'll just hopefully not be the same fight. Hopefully our generation will not let our kids inherit our problems. You know, as women, we are definitely working in that direction. But I think the world needs to sit up and take notice that this demand is loud because it's a requirement that demand is loud, because that's what's right. And that is the reflection of the world where women are 50 percent of it. And we should be reflected in, you know, every area and basically feminism.

Is that right? Like, don't decide for me what I should be doing when I should be doing it and how I should be doing it. Yeah, just like men have had that freedom. Give me that. Yeah. As well. So I guess it's that a strong message we deviated.

I know you're not deviating at all. It's a strong message and I stand by it. So it's, it's a great message and and it's really interesting where male privilege is a really interesting thing to reflect on. I remember when I first started reflecting on it, it started to strike me in a crazy way that I grew up having had said in dreams of becoming something that my sister couldn't have had. And and that wasn't because of the way we were parented.

It was because of what you saw. And and when that really hit me and I stood and looked at that. And I often encourage a lot of my friends in that direction, too. I'm like, if you really think about if they have a son and a daughter, I'm like, if you really think about some of the options that don't seem available to your daughter, that she may never consider a career. And I really think that that consideration is where the equality is, like the opportunity of even having that idea of I could do that or exactly the opportunity of of having choice, I think.

Yeah. You know, a lot of women we are. So I'm I am extremely privileged that I was raised by a feminist. I'm married to a feminist.

I'm extremely privileged that my parents, which is why I brought up parenting earlier, a big reason I have a sense of confidence and I am on this side, this side of the fight because it's not as hard as it is on so many women around the world. I still had to fight. Of course, I had to break down the doors and I had to, you know, prove a point to be taken seriously. I was kicked out of movies and replaced and, you know, all the things, but.

I still had it so much easier. There are women around the world that don't have a say in their life that are married off when other people decide that people choose who they are married to, whether they can work or not, when they should have children. What kind of children they should have.

I mean, it's that basic, that basic freedom that such a large part of the world because of how norms of society were archaic, you know, noxious norms which need to change.

And that doesn't mean giving up culture. That doesn't mean giving up tradition. You know, it just means creating opportunity. My father told me when I was very, very young, my mom, since I was nine years old, you will have financial independence before anything you do. It doesn't matter whose daughter you are, it doesn't matter you know, who you're marrying, married to. You stand on your own feet. And there's such a power to that, to having, you know, to be raised by parents who put that in my head.

So I was ambitious from 12 years old.

I decided every year what I wanted to be and it changed every year. I love hearing that.

And it reminded me of something you've said before when you were speaking about your father there, about how Nick for you shares this same admiration of your power and and your ambition and and feels, you know, supportive and excited and enthusiastic about the way you carry yourself. Tell us a bit about how I feel like that's such an important thing for both and anyone in a relationship to feel like their partner. Is inspired by their values, their beliefs and their dreams.

What is it felt like in the past where you feel like you haven't had that? And if someone who's listening or watching is feeling like maybe I don't have that? How does how do you think someone can navigate that or to ultimately attract the partner that that does have that what's that journey like? Because I think a lot of people feel like they're with someone who may not understand or get their dreams, especially when they're starting out. Then it's the wrong person for you, and if you have the, um, especially if you're starting out and, you know, you're testing the waters, and I think it's so crucial if you have a choice in your life to end up with someone who even if.

Is not, like, enthused by your dreams, is at least interested in them. Is at least excited about them or, you know, is at least encouraging, like that's that's exciting because, you know, everyone's busy and everyone has a thing in their lives.

But to take to make the effort to to make the effort to make you feel like your dreams are as important as the other one is such a gift. And I have been very blessed to have that.

You know, I find even even wherever wherever you are in your relationship, obviously you and Nic lead extremely busy lives. You know, my wife and I lead busy lives. And I feel even if someone's not in the entertainment industry or the media industry, everyone feels like they live busy lives. What does support look like when two people are busy, driven and ambitious? Because you obviously have it. You're speaking about it right now and it's beautiful. What does that actually look like in a real practical sense?

Obviously, the last six months or the last 12 months have been different. But in reality, what does that look like? Because I feel that maybe sometimes we have false expectations. Sometimes you want you know, it's not natural that you can be at every show Nick does. It's not natural for him to be at every set you're doing. Same with me and my wife. Like my wife can't be at every event I'm speaking at. I can't be at every interview or something she's doing.

What does support look like? What does love look like in a very real practical sense? I think when it comes to support specifically, I think. Giving the other person the space to do what they're doing is very important without, you know, them feeling like, oh, might like, for example, I'm here in London for a year right now and Nic is filming in L.A. and I can't travel. But before the holidays, he made sure he was here for two months to settle me and, you know, to make sure that the house was all set up and everything was sorted and we were together for the holidays.

That's because he was free at the end of the month. And that support, you know, it doesn't have to be large.

It doesn't have to be a, you know, a big expression of, I don't know, love or big gift.

It's not it's it's about giving space. It's about giving freedom. It's about appreciation. And I find this one thing really helpful. I always think about when, you know, he's busy or he's having a crazy day, which he does for me as well, which is amazing. And everyone can follow this. And it's super easy is to think about how can I make that person's day is here.

Just like and that's such a lovely loving thing just sometimes and, you know, back to back, especially when I was doing promo, I was doing like 20 interviews and suddenly there'd be like a really nice cocktail that would come in the evening or suddenly there'd be a really nice cup of coffee or, you know, something to eat for me that would come in. And it's just like so sweet to think about that. Or if I'm sitting outside, you know, holding a blanket and put it, it's just being thoughtful and aware about your person.

And, you know, that's the greatest form of love is showing it without really asking for it.

That's such a great piece of advice. I love that to be you said to be thoughtfully aware. And I think that's that's so true. And the beautiful thing about everything you just said is that it's it's free. It's cheap, it's small. It's simple as it's accessible to everyone. And it's. Yeah, it's the best. Yes, it's yeah. When you feel like someone's in tune with you and and your emotions and how you feel, how you might be tired or how you might be sleepy or how you might be cold like those small things when you feel someone's aware.

And I love that piece of advice, I think it's something that everyone's definitely learned more about in the pandemic where where we're exposed to each other. Tell me tell me a bit about the title unfinished, because I obviously it leads to your determined, ambitious voice. But what other parts of your growth, maybe internally, personally, do you feel your unfinished on or working on? I mean, so much, I've just about you know, I'm in my 30s and this decade has been amazing because, um.

I've just, you know, found my strength, I think, as a woman, and what I'm looking forward to going forward is I'm very nascent in my career in America right now. It's just been five years since I've started working here. I just about have done my first, you know, leading feature film. I've just about done my first dramatic part here.

I want to be able to build, you know, the kind of career that I had, the good fortune of building in another amazing industry in India. I've done such a variety of roles there, worked with the best film makers, best actors. I want to be able to have that experience here so that I'm like my artistic side now that I've started on this journey in this part of the world, is picked to to be able to do that as well as a producer, I want to be able to create a lot more South Asian content in Hollywood.

I just I didn't see enough parts for myself. I didn't see enough of it on TV. And considering how large the South Asian population is in around the world and how English speaking we are, you know, English language entertainment should be reflecting that. So I want to be able to tell stories in India as well. And as here I want to build as an entrepreneur. It's something I didn't do, you know, up until now because I was building my acting career.

So much so, you know, founding my own brand, investing in tech. I find that really fascinating. Um, my philanthropy. I want to be able to set up my foundation really well. My work with UNICEF, I've just about moved into our new house after almost 10 to 15 years of living in rentals or hotel rooms, you know, because I always just kept moving. I was so nomadic. I'm looking forward to, you know, watching the trees grow and my loved ones watching trees grow is great.

I love that you're as brilliant. I hearing you hearing you say that. I love hearing you talk about the South Asian storytelling. Like, obviously that that relates very strongly to me and my roots growing up in London as well, where I think we have an incredibly strong South Asian community where you are right now, where I was born and raised. And I definitely felt this. Yeah, lack of lack of representation, lack of the ability to to dream and its unit, lack of opportunity to dream in a certain way.

And, you know, my my career has been totally random. But it's and, you know, I'm doing something today that I would never have imagined even knowing it existed.

But see, even that you and I, two South Asians sitting in these boxes and talking about the fact that the careers that we are thriving in, that we have worked so hard to make was never in our minds, was never a possibility.

But I would have never dreamed about it because it wasn't in my realm of dreaming.

But that's not how it should be, considering the one fifth of the world's population.

We are huge. We're everywhere, OK? And I think and it shouldn't be so hard for me to, you know, come into an industry and say, I want an opportunity and for people to be like, oh, well, we're going to have to create that now.

We've existed for a really long time. You know, it's the irony of it is so amusing, but sad at the same time.

Yeah, no, that resonates very strongly with me because I didn't even know any careers existed. And when I say this, I don't say it lightly. I genuinely didn't believe Corea's existed out outside of medicine. Engineering and business, like I didn't really know either, I didn't know that you could have a successful career in anything else. And me neither.

At 17, when I was it was a fluke why I got got into the Miss India pageant and that kind of kick started everything for me. But I wanted to be an engineer. Those were the options. Doctor, engineer and lawyer. Yeah. And, you know, if you a failure make family of our failure. If you come from an academic family or, you know, our our parents are immigrants and our parents like my parents, even in India, where, you know, building their businesses for the first time, it wasn't inherited from them.

So they also were surviving. And I think it's that survival instinct that sort of pushed them to put the aspirations that they knew best. You know, on their kids. Yeah, like, this is the best job. You'll always have money. You will be stable. Yes.

You know, but also the Internet sort of changed our for our generation.

The fact that the Internet made the world such a small place, which is another big reason why we should see so much more representation, is because we are catering to the whole world now.

Definitely. Definitely. You're reminding me of a few years ago I before I actually started doing what I do today, I went to a presenter training day run by the BBC in London at Pinewood Studios. I'm sure you know or I've seen it. And we went to the studios and it was an ethnic minority TV training day. So it was only for ethnic minorities. So I went into this room and there were just five brown and black people in it.

That was it. And it was a free training session on presenting and seeing if you had the skills to be in media. And then I remember at the end of it saying, like, you know, like, is there any opportunity where we were like, no, no, no, there are no opportunities. And I what you call this goal here to to train us, to tell us there are no opportunities. And they were like, oh, but you can start a YouTube channel.

And that's that's you know, what you're saying about social media is so true that it was so hard to find an entry point without being able to create your own community. And and I think I love the way the world's gone because now it's allowed each and every single one of us to create a community around what we care about. And that's what I wanted to ask you that today. You're an entrepreneur, you're an actor, you're a producer. You have your own production company.

How do you define Brancaccio Progenies, his purpose that kind of cascades into all those areas? Like like what do you see as your purpose in the work that you're doing? Because to me it seems it's always been driven by purpose.

It definitely has. It's always to evolve. I feel like my purpose is to find the next thing that I can do. The next new thing, the next thing that I can push the envelope on or the next thing where I can push the goalpost. I want to do something different. That's not what I've always been driven to, you know, and that doesn't mean every choice is that. But that's the eventual big picture purpose, you know, to be able to sort of.

I've been given such an incredible opportunity from the beginning of my career, you know, I it was I don't take that lightly to be there are so many people around the world that are probably more talented than me, probably more deserving than me. But, you know, the some of the opportunities I chose is the reason why I'm here today.

And I don't take that for granted at all. And that's my purpose, is to make sure that, you know, every single day is spent with a pursuit of excellence in every single choice that I make. What are three truths that you live by, if you had to define three things that you always live by, that you don't negotiate with, that you that guide you, that guide your decisions and guide your life. When you're looking at those projects, as you said, you always want to find that next thing that you're going to break through and that you don't be scared of trying new things.

What are some of those?

If it resonates with me, like if I read something and I'm moved by, like the White Tiger, for example, I read the book and it really like, you know, some books you just remember always because there was such a vivid journey and the White Tiger was one of those.

For me, it was such a vivid journey. And I when I read that it was being adapted, I chased it. I went after it and I was like, I need to be I need to do this. I need to be a part of it because it moved me. It was a story that I feel like it needs to be told is topical.

It's entertaining. You know, it's it's based on a universal theme of the haves and the have nots that exist everywhere.

So I think like that I feel is my purpose to be able to be moved by the things that I choose to align with.

And I think also for it to be a growth for me, you know, for it to be for it to be taking me to the next step. I don't like to stay in the same place for a very long time, do the same kind of thing for a very long time. I want to go to the next thing, what is what is better.

And my job sort of lends me to be able to do that because it's very transitory. There's no you know, you don't know where your next job is or where your next check comes from or anything. Right.

So, yeah, it allows me to pick and choose what I think is the next step. But those two things are very important. I think those are great truths.

Those are great truths. And I think they come across in your book when you kind of see like, how is this person had like ten careers, you know, in a good way, in a strong sense of being able to find that. And and I wonder, obviously, you've played so many roles and studied so many characters in your life, was writing this book almost like studying your own self as a character in terms of like the role you played.

So the reflection of this book is sort of mean now, you know, talking to my younger me growing up.

So I comment on myself and stuff and like, come on, you know, don't don't not to self.

I have a lot of notes to self in the book, so sort of a commentary on that. But I think I wasn't examining myself as a character because I think I, I was sort of going along with my journey all over again.

I was experiencing my journey all over again. I didn't have to create anything. I just had to remember it as vividly as I could. And I don't know. I hope I got everything right. I've tried to, but memory is a funny thing. And I've you know, I just I experienced it. So it was almost like, you know, when you're in a train and you're looking outside and, you know, the world is sort of moving by or in a car outside in the world is moving.

But that's how I felt when I was writing the book.

Yeah, you share this beautiful quote in Chapter eight that really stuck with me. I've never I've never read this one before, and I absolutely love discovering writers and thoughts. So thank you for introducing me to this. It says it's from letters to a young poet and it says, be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. And I thought the selection of that that quote, it really spoke to me.

How do you balance your drive and what's next with that passion? Sorry, with that patience and with that approach? Because often it can feel like, you know, it's like you're trying to find the next thing, trying to grow and evolve. But but you're also beautifully speaking about patience. Well, I bifurcates I'm not patient in my job, but I'm patient as a person and my job doesn't make me. It's not my job is not my whole, you know.

And this is, again, something I didn't know earlier. I've grown into understanding this. My younger self probably wouldn't like my 20s. I didn't know this, but I figured it very clearly. You know, my professional life is my professional life. My personal life is my personal life. They meet in the middle sometimes because I'm a public person, but I still have an immense part of me that's not for public consumption and it's not for anyone else but me.

So that that side of means patient, that side of me has become, you know, calmer, a little bit more, having, you know, stable, maybe having my feet on the ground a little bit. But my professional self is still in a tizzy, impatient. I want the next thing right now. I wake up in the morning thinking about my entire day and how I'm going to achieve every single thing and zero to 60. And that works for that girl.

It doesn't work for this girl. And it took a lot of introspection for me to get here. Actually, in that chapter, I actually talk about that journey of getting to that place because I wasn't there. And a lot of my professional attitude, which was, you know, I am going to do everything I can to make this the best. I took a lot of the onus of life upon myself as well. And it hurt me. And it, um, and I didn't need to take the responsibility of life.

Life happens and we've kind of got to navigate it every single day and, you know, live it for being on the right side of the truth and being a good person and, you know, having joy in the day because life is a gift and, you know, it needs to be celebrated. And so my my personal side of that tree is rochell and loves life. And, um, but the other girl, she's she's crazy.

That's a fantastic distinction. And I, I, I love that. I'm so glad that you shared that with us. That's such a great way of of helping people understand how two seemingly opposite ideas can coexist. And I think we often feel like we have to choose like you're either driven or you're calm, you're either ambitious or you're, you know, conscious and aware. And I've I'm so happy you said that because I couldn't agree more. I think it's fun letting two ideas collide and live within the same space in person.

So it's natural as well.

It is. Natural dichotomies are the most consistent things you'll see around. Nobody's one thing. No emotion is a singular emotion. You are at any given moment and that's an actor thing. I guess when you're you're playing a character, you have to think about everything that character is playing. You can't just be like, oh, this is an angry scene. I'm going to just be angry and yell my eyes out, you know, whatever. Throw it out.

You're not that's not a good actor. You're not even scratching beneath the surface. The actor who thinks about, oh, my gosh, I'm getting laid or I have to have this conversation. It's also called and I'm like, mad about whatever. Last week, my job, I got fired. You've got to think about all of those elements. So in the same way in life, we never have to choose one thing so that we need to take that pressure off of our backs, that you don't have to be on one solitary journey.

You can choose to be on any journey at any time. You can choose to feel as long as you take the pressure. We put too much pressure on ourselves to function. We create boxes and glass ceilings for ourselves because we like, oh, this is the only way I can be. And that's how you are successful. There's no black or white in the world. Everyone lives in Gray's. Thank you so much for sharing that passionately, I could I could feel you feel your passion is like flying through the screen.

You're like everyone who's listening or watching. This is just, you know, it's beautiful.

It's it's fantastic. You've been so kind with your and generous with your time, we end every podcast with two segments. The segments are called Fill In the Blank and the Fast Five. The fill in the blank is a fill in the blank ground, a very aware. And then I'll introduce the phosphide later. So if you're ready, this is your fill in the blank. OK. OK, so the hardest part about my job is hours.

Twenty twenty gave me a new perspective on creativity.

I just feel because I gave me a sense of balance, I became a lot more creative I think. Yeah, that makes sense. That stillness, that clarity, that slow down for once. The luxury of time I never have. Yeah. And I've never chosen this for this first time was very helpful. Yeah. I love that my power comes from my family.

Working hard makes me feel fulfilled, storytelling is a joy and my dogs are my world.

I love it. OK, this is your final five, so questions can be one word to one sentence maximum, you did extremely well on the fill in the blank. So these are one word to one sentence maximum. OK, who do you go to for their opinion about your work and health?

Great, great answer. I love it.

I let the people decide, you know, one of my favorite things about you over the years is just how straight talking you are. And and and obviously, my intention is has only been positive towards you, but I've loved watching your interviews where someone asks, tries to ask, just an awkward, irrelevant question. And and you always just give them the best answer, like, yeah. It's just it's so fun to watch. It's so fun. And I haven't I haven't been able to be on the other end of it, thankfully.

But but it's it's great. It's great. OK, what's the best piece of advice you ever received and to have courage of conviction.

My mom said that to me when I was very young, she said, if you're going to tell the truth or if you're going to tell a lie, just know that, you know, whatever you do, you have to stand by it. The good, the bad and ugly, it's all yours. What's the worst advice you've ever received?

I don't retain bad advice. Great answer. That's that's a great idea. Also. Yeah. Yeah, it makes perfect sense.

Why would why would you remember it just I don't have the place in my brain for it. There's too many other things.

Question number four, what's something that you know to be true for you but that other people may disagree on?

So something that you're confident is true, but other people may not understand it fully, that I'm actually like you among people won't believe it because most people, even my closest family would be like, you know, because I'm always, like, in a tizzy. But I'm actually inherently. Rather close, close to Monck, not really. Actually, I love it. No, I love it. That's great. I thought that that was the whole reason why I was encouraging people to have a monk mindset that anyone in the world can can have that.

So I love hearing that. That's that's beautiful. You don't have to you don't have to live like a monk to think like a monk. So I'm glad that that's great. OK, fifth and final question. If you can make one law in the world that everyone had to follow, what would it be?

No one goes hungry is my law. It it's the worst thing to see. Yeah, if we could change just that, it would really change a lot of that, such a great law. We've never had anyone say that before. So I'm really I'm really happy you said that. And I couldn't agree more as a monk. We worked on several food distribution programs in India where I was. And it was it was so meaningful to see. But there's so much work that needs to be done in that space all across all over the world.

Yeah, well, I was everywhere, and that's like such a basic right and need for a human being to just live. And, you know, I've done obviously coming from having grown up in India, but also I've worked with kids around the world with UNICEF and. It's just it's it's like that's got to change one hungry child is. It's just it's not right, it's not natural and yeah, and it's like, you know, we talk about as we were talking about the dreams and the ambitions, but it all starts with food and water and, you know, it starts with those basic necessities to help that person.

So that's that's a beautiful answer. But we also, as privilege society, have become very desensitized to it. You know, you drive past homeless shelter, you're not thinking about it. And I'm not saying that, you know, each person needs to empty their wallets and, like, make a difference to the world, I think. Yes, it is the responsibility of the large earners, definitely of, you know, the billionaires of the world, because in a big way.

But I think also the responsibility of each one of us to just do whatever we can, you know, and that doesn't have to be large. It could be just kindness, compassion, change someone's life. Just look around you, your neighborhood, just that that in itself will be helpful.

You know, I was as a kid, my mom told me no matter how badly off you are, how bad your circumstances are, someone's worse off than you. And that's just the truth of the world. I love how much you remember and quote your parents, it's such a beautiful thing because it shows you the power of good parenting and beautiful messaging from a young age, really. It's such a special thing. So I think they also repeated themselves a lot.

That's really it. I love that they just kept saying the same thing.

Every birthday thing, every single thing. I was like. All right.

Well, the repetition worked. It worked.

The repetition. I wrote a book about that. So I love it.

Yeah.

The repetition works so much that if you want to be parented by Brancaccio Vaginosis parents that this is now, please go and grab a copy. We're putting the link everywhere for Unfinished, a memoir by Priyanka Chopra. Journeys go and grab the book and read it and share it. Read it together, start a book club around it. We're going to make this one of our book club picks for the on purpose community. So I'll be sharing that with all of you and all the notes as I'm reading through it.

I recommend that you do the same. Priyanka, I'm so grateful for your time, your generous time for staying up with us. I know you've got lots more of these to do, and I look forward to meeting you very soon. So thank you so much. Is that is there anything you want to share last with everyone?

I just want to say this was so nice. It was such a lovely conversation. I always knew it was going to be.

But it's you're you're just insightful and I can see why, you know, you do what you do so well and more power to you, you know, keep pushing it. Thank you. Thank you so much for being such a pleasure. And, yeah, all the best for the rest of your interviews and the rest of the tour. And yeah. Look forward to speaking to you soon.

Stay safe. Chat soon. Hey, guys, this is Jay again, just a few more quick things before you leave. I know we try to focus on the good every day, and I want to make that easier for you. Would you like to get a short email from me every week that gives you an extra dose of positivity? Weekly Wisdom is my newsletter. Write down whatever's on my mind that I think may uplift your week. Basically little bits of goodness that are going to improve your well-being.

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This podcast was produced by Dust Light Productions, our executive producer from Dust Light is Michelle Usif. Our senior producer is Juliana Bradley. Our associate producer is Jacqueline Castillo. Valentino Rivera is our engineer. Our music is from Blue Dot Sessions and special thanks to Rachel Garcia, the dust like development and operations coordinator.