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10 Priyanka Chopra Jonas films you need to watch

Beyond Bollywood host Haroon Rashid on his essential Priyanka Chopra Jonas movies:

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is doing what no other mainstream Bollywood actress has managed to do before her – she’s conquering Hollywood too!

I often feel like her new-found fame and recognition in the West has started a fresh chapter in her life, which sometimes overshadows what she’s already achieved in Hindi cinema.

So for those who are unaware and for those who want to reminisce, here are ten Priyanka Chopra Jonas performances, in order of release, that I think do justice to how talented she really is.

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1 | AITRAAZ (2004)

Aitraaz was the first sign that Priyanka was not interested in just playing the standard Bollywood heroine. Not many actresses take on such a risqué role so early on in their career – but here Priyanka was, a year after her debut, playing an antagonist who will do anything to fulfil her desires.

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2 | DON (2006)

Stepping into the shoes of the legendary actress Zeenat Aman is no easy task but Priyanka Chopra managed to do full justice to the role of Roma in this remake directed by Farhan Akhtar. She displayed some action skills for the first time and left the audience wanting more.

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3 | FASHION (2008)

Director Madhur Bhandarkar ripped the plaster off the façade of the fashion industry in this drama but the whole thing could have come off as a bit of a spoof if Priyanka had not convincingly portrayed the range of emotions a model experiences in a highly competitive, ruthless workplace.

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4 | KAMINEY (2009)

Priyanka only had eight-scenes in the film but left such an impact that she bagged a Filmfare Best Actress nomination for this action-drama. Her witty one-liners and uninhibited attitude on screen are still remembered today.

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5 | 7 KHOON MAAF (2011)

By now, Priyanka had firmly established herself as one of the most versatile actresses of her generation who was also willing to take risks – and they came no bigger than 7 Khoon Maaf where she played a woman who kills six of her husbands. The dark comedy was not only entertaining but also tackled deep-rooted misogyny.

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6 | BARFI (2012)

Continuing her streak of unconventional choices, Priyanka played a character with autism in Anurag Basu’s Barfi. For many, she was unrecognisable in this role, not only because of her physical transformation to look the part – but also because of how naturally she played Jhilmil.

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7 | MARY KOM (2014)

This biopic, based on the life of world champion boxer Mary Kom, saw Priyanka go through rigorous training to look the part of an athlete. Despite criticism, ahead of the film’s release, that Priyanka didn’t look enough like the real Mary, she won over critics and audiences with her performance.

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8 | DIL DHADAKNE DO (2015)

Zoya Akhtar’s Dil Dhadakne Do challenges gender stereotypes and hypocrisy in the Indian family set-up. Priyanka’s refreshing portrayal of an ambitious woman who is suppressing her feelings because of societal expectations felt realistic and authentic throughout.

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9 | BAJIRAO MASTANI (2015)

Not many people can join Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film and steal the show – but Priyanka did in Bajirao Mastani. Playing Bajirao’s first wife Kashibai, she did full justice to the vulnerability, hurt and love of a woman forced to share her husband with someone else.

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10 | THE SKY IS PINK (2019)

After a three year break to focus on work in the US, Priyanka returned to Hindi films playing a mother to a girl with an autoimmune disease. She showed off an array of emotions so sensitively that you couldn’t help but feel the pain and heartache of her character. You’re going to need a box of tissues for this one!

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