Priyanka Chopra's journey to global stardom has been marked by resilience, hard work, and a determination to break stereotypes. In the early days of her career, she faced scrutiny for her appearance, with some questioning whether she fit the conventional Bollywood beauty standards. Veteran actress Smita Jaykar, who shared screen space with Priyanka in the 2004 film Kismat, recently shared her initial impressions of the actress, revealing her surprise at Priyanka's incredible transformation over the years.

During a conversation with Filmymantra Media, Smita Jaykar recalled her first meeting with Priyanka Chopra. She remembered Priyanka being introduced as their daughter in the film Kismat and admitted she was taken aback by her appearance. "She was very thin, skinny, dark," Smita Jaykar said. "When I saw her, I said, 'Oh My God'. She looked like nothing at that point in time. I thought how do these people come to become a heroine".

However, Smita Jaykar acknowledged that she was wrong to judge Priyanka based on her initial appearance. She expressed her amazement at Priyanka's evolution into a "diva" and a "fabulous" actress. "Cut to, Priyanka Chopra was wow," Smita Jaykar stated. "I thought, what has this girl gone and done? She became a diva completely. So, you can't judge somebody and say, 'Yaar, yeh kisko leke aaye ho'. Kuch maaloom nahi kiski kismat kab badal jaaye (You never know when someone's destiny will change). What an actress, fab!".

Priyanka Chopra herself has been open about the challenges she faced due to colorism and body shaming. In a previous interview with BBC, she revealed that she was called names like "black cat" and "dusky". "I thought I was not pretty enough," Priyanka confessed. "Even though I thought I was probably a little bit more talented than my fellow actors who were lighter-skinned, I believed I'd have to work harder. It was so normalised, I thought it was right".

Despite these early challenges, Priyanka Chopra persevered and broke through societal barriers. She aimed for her goals and proved her potential, eventually becoming a global icon. Her journey serves as an inspiration to many, demonstrating that talent and determination can triumph over prejudice and discrimination.

Priyanka's latest Hollywood project, Heads of State, premiered on Amazon Prime Video on July 2nd. This action-comedy, directed by Ilya Naishuller, features her as MI6 agent Noel Bisset, alongside Idris Elba and John Cena. Meanwhile, Smita Jaykar is preparing for her role in the film Maa Lapataa and will be returning for the third season of the web series Romeo.