Madhu Chopra Reveals Priyanka Chopra Was Shunned By Hometown Post Miss World: ‘They Were Not Ready…’ – News18

Last Updated:December 01, 2024, 21:55 IST

Priyanka Chopra faced unexpected resistance in her hometown Bareilly after winning the Miss World 2000 title. Her mother, Madhu Chopra, revealed that the state was unwilling to welcome Priyanka, citing beauty pageants as “nari shoshan.”

Priyanka Chopra’s journey to stardom is nothing short of inspiring, but it hasn’t always been met with open arms, even in her hometown. Despite clinching the prestigious Miss World 2000 title, Priyanka faced unexpected resistance when she returned to Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, after her win. Her mother, Madhu Chopra, recently shed light on this disheartening chapter during an appearance on the Something Bigger Show, revealing the stark contrast in how different cities reacted to Priyanka’s historic achievement.

“(After the pageant) She first came to Bareilly. But, at that time, there was a trend or a bad wind blowing that all these beauty pageants were for nari shoshan (oppression or exploitation of women) and that they were shaming women by objectifying them and that these pageants were not good. But she won Miss World. They were not ready to welcome her into Uttar Pradesh as such,” Madhu recalled. Highlighting the struggles, she added, “Times of India had a tough time getting permission for her to come and that too with limitations. So, they allowed her to come only within the Army area and have her welcome party only in the Army club with only Army officers and no civilians. To have won such a big title for the country… and it was big then—she was the millennium Miss World… she had dreams and dreams written about it. But then, her own home state didn’t welcome her. But she was not fazed.”

Expressing her disappointment, Madhu shared, “Some people impose their misguided beliefs. But she never had to compromise; there was no nari shoshan anywhere. She did it on her own terms; she had the opportunity and she aced it. Instead of providing women opportunities, why criminalise something that is so beautiful?” she questioned.

While acknowledging the aspirational nature of beauty pageants, Madhu also spoke about the pitfalls. “But then there’s a flip side to it too… girls go crazy and they want to do things. It’s aspirational, and when they’re disappointed with not making it, they make wrong, bad choices. I feel girls who are strong in their beliefs and confident only should attempt such stuff (pageants). You have to be very strong in your resolve; but it’s never do or die… nothing is do or die in a person’s life. There’s always more opportunities,” she explained.

Interestingly, Madhu highlighted how Mumbai’s response to Priyanka’s win was in sharp contrast to Bareilly’s. In Mumbai, Priyanka was welcomed with open arms, with industry insiders eager to cast her in films. However, Priyanka initially hesitated, prioritising her education over a career in films. “She’s a brilliant, intelligent girl and her objective was something else; this just happened,” Madhu said, adding that Priyanka had aspired to be a criminal psychologist or aeronautical engineer. “But destiny had other plans.”

Today, Priyanka Chopra is a global star. Following her recent stint in the American spy action series Citadel, she is currently working on two major projects: the action-comedy Heads of State, alongside Idris Elba and John Cena, and the action-drama The Bluff. Her journey serves as a testament to resilience and the power of forging one’s path against the odds.