A case for Priyanka Chopra

Ashima Sehajpal Batish 

Agreed that The Cut, a New York magazine, has profusely apologised for its write up on Priyanka Chopra, but it must have used some logic while perpetuating the prejudiced theory. Catty conclusions by Mariah Smith in the write up, “Is Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ love for real?” seem a byproduct of phony facts and figures.

Or are these a result of a popular belief system? An A-list female actor of Bollywood, with no godfather in the industry, manages to cross  the world and make strides in Hollywood. Then she marries Nick Jonas, an American singer with international fan following. In the process, she gets called a global scam artist by the writer. 

You know, ‘women can be gold diggers’ — that is what explains it the best when a woman with no bank balance hitches with someone who enjoys privileges of a personal banker and multiple platinum cards. However, in case of Priyanka, even this doesn’t hold true. According to a recent report, her net worth is $28 million or Rs 200 crore and Nick Jonas’ is $ 25 million or Rs171 crore. Money she has, and the global artist doesn’t need a scam to prove that.

Those like Mariah who think Priyanka might earn a few more thousand followers on Instagram and Twitter post the nuptials with Nick haven’t really checked her social media worth. Not that a relationship is anchored by followers or financial equality, but just to state some facts, Priyanka’s Instagram account boasts of 32.9 million followers and Nick has 19.1 million following him. Even on Twitter, she is 10 million followers ahead of her husband at 23.7 million. 

In the extremely racist and sexist write up, the global part in the description of Priyanka is true to the word. Like Nick, she is a celebrity, a star in America and the sub-continent, but back home, her stature is far more elevated. Even the Prime Minister marks attendance at her reception. 

In the Indian context, there is more to Priyanka Chopra that makes her an achiever.  A few years back, on Kapil Sharma’s comedy show, she was casually teased by the host about earning a lot and that what would she do with so much money. The actor utilised the opportunity to address a gender issue of the missing pay parity. She said that men, for the same amount of work, get paid far more, and to match that ‘kind of income’ she has to work ‘far more.’

And she seems to be working far more. She is already busy talking about Bumble, a start-up she has invested in, in several interviews. First a global artist and with a production house, Purple Pebbles, and now a tech investor, she is almost a global entrepreneur. Can’t figure out the scam part in the woman’s ambition!