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I dream beyond cars or no of zeroes on my cheque: Priyanka Chopra

I dream beyond cars or no of zeroes on my cheque: Priyanka Chopra

New Delhi, Dec 27 (UNI) Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra, who has made a mark globally with the TV show 'Quantico' and the movie Baywatch, said her dream has always been much more than "a car or number of zeroes on my cheque".

Delivering the 11th Penguin Annual Lecture on "Breaking The Glass Ceiling: Chasing a dream" here on Tuesday evening, Priyanka said,"It's not about whether I want a car or want so many zeros on my cheque. For me, it has always been bigger than that... There's a bigger picture.

I want my fans and people who have faith in me to one day turn back and say yeah, that was the right reason we loved her.'

In a conversation with Sonia Singh after the lecture, Priyanka, when asked if those zeroes matter, said, "Yes, because I work really hard for them. I'm not someone who was born with a silver spoon, even though my parents always gave me one. But I've worked really hard to be where I am and each of us deserves to be compensated for it."

Talking about making into the top 10 in Forbes India Celebrity 100 list, the 'Bajirao Mastani' fame said,"Although year 2017 was "tumultuous" for me, I am proud of myself for making it to the top 10 -- the only female actor in the 2017 Forbes India Celebrity 100 list."

She said her making it to the list is a great moment for her but it is also sad that it was dominated by the male stars.

"Why aren't there other females there on the list? Don't get me wrong, I'm very proud of myself that I had the ability to work so hard that I can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my male counterparts today in the top 10 of India.

But at the same time, it brings up the question that why is there just one of me - female actor when there are so many males in that list? The glass ceiling exists not just in India but it's a worldwide problem and it cuts across all spheres of life, not only the entertainment industry," she said.

On the issue of racism, the 'Mary Kom' actress recalled how she faced racism in her school.

"I was called 'brownie', 'curry' in school," she said.

'It exists everywhere and I have realised that South Asian actors are still a novelty in the West. But I did not want to be the 'Big Fat Punjabi Wedding stereotype' and rather be seen as a kickass actor," she said.

Priyanka said she has faced "abuse of power" in her professional life.

"I am very fierce. People are a little bit scared of me. When I walk into a room, I make sure that no one can... Yes, I have had situations when I have been thrown out of films because someone else was recommended; A girlfriend was recommended after I was signed for a movie. So, that's an abuse of power... Girlfriend of the hero or girlfriend of the director.

"I couldn't do anything about it. I was removed last minute from many such situations because I never catered to the whims and fancies of powerful men. I only cater to my colleagues and friends who give me respect. I was treated in a different way because I commanded that, and it was because I had the strength and support of my family," said the 35-year-old actress.

Priyanka said the situation will change in India when the next generation is taught to respect a woman.

The actress said her greatest achievement has been her ability to consistently conquer fear and her biggest dream is to leave behind a legacy.

"My biggest achievement is the ability to get over my fears. My biggest achievement is to turn my vulnerability into my strength because I'm usually emotional and I get affected by a lot of things.

"I know I come across as tough, sassy and witty. That is a big part of protecting myself. There has not been anyone holding out a safety net for me. So, I trust my instinct, so that even if I fail, it'll be my failure... My biggest regret is I didn't spend as much time as I did with my dad," Priyanka said.

Priyanka said her biggest dream is to leave behind a legacy.

"I always have the same dream that manifests into different things and my biggest dream is to leave behind a legacy," she said.

During her lecture, she shared "PC's 12 rules of being the best version of yourself", urging fans to be greedy for ambitions, to not compromise, to fail and rise like a phoenix and to always remember where you came from, among other things.

UNI PY/AR SV SB 1038

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