Highlights:
- Priyanka says ideas matter more than connections.
- Obsession reflects changing industry dynamics.
- She recalls entering cinema without industry ties.
- The actor challenged old views on Indian cinema.
- She hopes to explore more diverse roles in Hollywood.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas believes the entertainment industry is becoming more open and accessible than ever before. Speaking at the Cannes Lions conference in France, the actor reflected on how technology, digital platforms, and changing audience habits are creating opportunities for creators regardless of their background.
According to Chopra Jonas, the success of the low-budget horror film Obsession highlights how dramatically the industry has evolved.
"I feel like if you have an idea, shoot it, put it on YouTube, and it can become 'Obsession,' the movie that just came out," Chopra said. "What a wonderful time to be an entertainer, to be in the entertainment business, because ideas are your currency."
Her comments underline a growing shift in the entertainment landscape. In the past, breaking into film and television often required industry connections, access to established studios, or years of networking. Today, digital platforms allow creators to share their work directly with audiences, sometimes turning small independent projects into global successes.
Chopra Jonas knows firsthand what it means to enter the industry without a roadmap.
"My parents were doctors, so none of us had any idea how to navigate film," she said.
The actor recalled that when she first began her career, the entertainment business felt much more exclusive and difficult to access.
"It used to be such a niche industry when I first started. If you wanted to get into filmmaking, you had to figure out what department you wanted to be in," she said.
Over the years, Chopra Jonas has built a career that spans both Indian cinema and Hollywood. Her journey has made her a witness to significant changes in how audiences consume content and how stories travel across borders.
She also spoke about long-standing misconceptions surrounding Indian cinema. Earlier in her career, she was often told that films from India would never achieve the same level of global recognition as English-language productions.
"I was told that Indian cinema would never be as global as Hollywood because we're not English-language, and not everybody understands whatever language our movies might be in, whether Hindi, Telugu, Marathi or anything else," she said.
The global popularity of Indian films and streaming content has challenged those assumptions. Audiences today are increasingly willing to watch stories from different cultures and languages, helping expand the reach of filmmakers around the world.
Chopra Jonas believes that shift has created new possibilities for artists. While she has enjoyed a diverse and successful career in India, she hopes to bring that same variety to her English-language projects.
"In my Hindi-language career, I've worked with all the best filmmakers and the best actors, I've told amazing stories and done a variety of genres," she said. "Whereas in America, in Hollywood, in my English-language work, I haven't really done that as much."
The actor described this stage of her career as a new chapter focused on growth and reinvention. Having already established herself internationally through projects such as Citadel and Heads of State, she now wants to explore a broader range of stories, genres, and characters.
For Chopra Jonas, the future of entertainment belongs to creators with strong ideas, regardless of where they come from. Her message is simple: talent and creativity are becoming the industry's most valuable assets, and the barriers that once limited opportunity are steadily disappearing.
