Priyanka Chopra Jonas started her career as the winner of the Miss World pageant in 2000. She then pursued acting, where she made her debut in Bollywood with the film The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. Since her debut in 2003, Chopra has starred in 41 Bollywood films before transitioning to American film and television.
She has been an instrumental part in making many films what they are today, demonstrating her exceptional ability to act. She not only has brought life to these on-screen characters but did so with exceptional talent. These are the top contenders of Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ best performances in Bollywood films.
10 ‘Mary Kom’ (2014)
IMDb Score: 6.8/10
Mary Kom is a biopic on the life of boxer Mangte Chungneijang Kom from adolescence to adulthood as she navigates her personal life, aspirations, passion for boxing and family obligations. Chopra play the titular character in the film.
The film was a commercial success with notable acclaim towards Chopra’s performance. She was not vigorously trained for the role of a boxer which included attaining an athlete’s physique in just under three months. To date, the film is notable for Mary Kom’s inspirational story from a village girl to a legendary athlete who is an epithet of hard work, perseverance, and formidability.
9 ‘Fashion’ (2008)
IMDb Score: 6.9/10
The film revolves around Meghna Mathur, portrayed by Chopra, an aspiring fashion model. Despite her determination to make her dream a reality, she is faced with obstacles in the forms of alcoholism, drug abuse, personal turmoil and a self-confidence crisis.
The film has been noted as one of the best women-centric films of Bollywood as it explores ambition, independence, and these strong independent characters. Additionally, the movie is notably grounded in reality as it addresses the superficiality of the fashion industry as well as what can take place behind the glamor.
8 ‘Agneepath’ (2012)
IMDb Score: 6.9/10
Agneepath (‘Path of Fire’) is a story of Vijay (Hrithik Roshan) as he seeks vengeance for his father’s murder at the hands of Kancha Cheena (Sanjay Dutt). Chopra plays the role of Vijay’s love interest in the film.
Despite limited screentime, Chopra’s acting brought life to her on-screen character, Kaali. Not only was Kaali the bright point in an inherently dark film about vengeance, but she was also integral to the storyline as a source of unconditional support for the protagonist.
7 ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ (2015)
IMDb Score: 7.0/10
Dil Dhadakne Do (‘Let the Heartbeat’) revolves around the Mehras, a dysfunctional family who invite their close family and friends on a cruise to celebrate their wedding anniversary. The Mehra family consists of Kamal (Anil Kapoor), his wife Neelam (Shefali Shah), their son Kabir (Ranveer Singh) and daughter Ayesha (Chopra).
Despite being a self-made, career-orientated woman, Ayesha is dissatisfied with her familial life. Ayesha struggles to establish respect in the eyes of her family and controlling husband as she is expected to adhere to societal expectations of focusing on her family. Ayesha’s character is notable for the portrayal of an independent woman who grapples with stereotypical expectations in contemporary society.
6 ‘Don’ (2006)
IMDb Score: 7.1/10
The film Don featuring Shah Rukh Khan is a remake of a popular film with the same title from 1978 starring Amitabh Bachchan. The movie revolves around Don, a powerful criminal involved in the drug trade. A police officer enlists a Don’s lookalike to infiltrate his network and gather intelligence.
Things get further complicated when Roma (Chopra), plans to go undercover with Don’s organization seeking vengeance for her brother’s death at the hands of Don. Despite their differences, Roma and Don develop feelings for each other. While the film itself is iconic in Bollywood due to King Khan’s performance, Chopra did justice to the original character played by Zeenat Aman.
5 ‘The White Tiger’ (2021)
IMDb Score: 7.1/10
The White Tiger is an adaptation of the book with the same title by Aravind Adiga. The film focuses on Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav) and his rise to success. Working as a servant with the Stork family, he soon becomes a trusted employee of Ashok (Rajkummar Rao) and his wife, Pinky (Chopra).
Following a drastic turn of events, Balram realizes how disposable he is as a working man in a lower class. While Chopra has a small role to play on-screen, her character’s role is integral to the movie itself. In an interview, she shared how she actively pursued the role after hearing the book was being made into a movie.
4 ‘Bajirao Mastani’ (2015)
IMDb Score: 7.2/10
Bajirao Mastani is an epic historical romance film that centers on Bajirao (Ranveer Singh), the appointed leader of the Maratha Empire in the 1700s. Married to Kashibai (Chopra), his second marriage to Mastani (Deepika Padukone) was of controversy.
Beyond the grandeur scale at which the film was made including majestic sets and exquisite costume design, the cast’s performance received widespread praise. Chopra’s performance is notable for stealing the show as her acting brought grace to her character. The film is also notable for its iconic dialogue “Had you asked for my life, I would have given it to you happily, but you robbed me of my self-respect.”
3 ‘Kaminey’ (2009)
IMDb Score: 7.4/10
Kaminey (‘Scoundrels’) focuses on the fierce rivalry between two estranged twin brothers (both played by Shahid Kapoor). While one brother Charlie schemes to make it big, often implicating himself in criminal dealings the other brother Sanjay plans to marry his love interest, Sweety portrayed by Chopra.
The film has been praised for its edgy and unpredictable storyline and has developed a cult following. Although Chopra’s screen time is limited to around 8 scenes in the entire film, her performance is notably outstanding.
2 ‘The Sky is Pink’ (2019)
IMDb Score: 7.6/10
The Sky is Pink is a biopic film based on the life of Aisha Chaudhary, a teenage girl who was born with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). She gave inspirational speeches starting at the age of 15 and published a book prior to her death.
The mother-daughter relationship between Aisha (Zaira Wasim) and her mother (Chopra) was integral to the storyline as the film explored themes ranging from motherhood, life and death and grief. Chopra described her character as a ferociously protective mother who wants nothing more than happiness and health for her dying daughter.
1 ‘Barfi!’ (2012)
IMDb Score: 8.1/10
The film follows Barfi (Ranbir Kapoor), a speech and hearing-impaired boy as he navigates life and his love for two girls. Despite developing strong feelings for Shruti (Ileana D’Cruz), Barfi shares a special connection with his childhood friend Jhilmil Chatterjee. Chopra plays the role of Jhilmil, an autistic girl in the film.
The film itself has not only achieved cult status due to the popularity of the storyline, but Chopra’s acting stood out as a realistic portrayal of autism, drawing awareness of ASD. To date, her performance of Jhilmil remains one of her most memorable on-screen performances.
