‘I have to be able to dance’: Priyanka Chopra’s ONE major condition for S.S. Rajamouli’s ‘Varanasi’ |
Priyanka Chopra Jonas expressed her excitement for returning to Indian cinema during the grand reveal of the epic ‘Varanasi’. She spoke about S.S. Rajamouli’s remarkable filmmaking methods and how they continue to inspire her. In a later interview, Priyanka reflected on the cultural and technological growth she has noticed since transitioning from major Hollywood projects back to Indian storytelling.
Priyanka Chopra calls ‘Varanasi’ a homecoming
After spending the last few years working on international ventures such as ‘Heads of State’ and ‘Citadel’, Priyanka described her experience in ‘Varanasi’ as a heartfelt return to her roots. During an interview with Screen Rant Plus, she opened up about the incredible excitement of local audiences and how deeply it moved her. “For me, I haven’t done a Telugu movie in I don’t even know… I haven’t done one,” she stated, adding, “Being able to get, like, having that kind of acceptance from Telugu fans—as you’ve seen, it’s very, very specific to this region, first of all. That kind of level of love and affection is something very unique to this region.”
“I think Indian cinema has fandom… the level of love and affection and attention that you get is unprecedented. You don’t see that—now having worked abroad—you don’t see that anywhere else in the world. It’s very specific to Indian cinema and Indian fans,” she said.
Priyanka Chopra on adapting to different industries
Chopra stressed that every industry needs a distinct frame of mind when asked how her international career has affected her approach to this project. She said, “I think that the culture of filmmaking is very different in Hollywood versus how we work in India, and you have to pivot your brain. So I can divide my brain into two,” she explained. She further noted that she does not attempt to mix the two styles: “I don’t think there is a world in which you bring lessons from there here or vice versa. I think you have to immerse yourself in—and I believe anyway an actor’s journey is through a director’s vision… I think you just have to go into every film set with the originality of whatever you’re going to receive from that set.”
Priyanka Chopra expresses gratitude to Rajamouli
Priyanka expressed her gratitude to S.S. Rajamouli, whose previous film RRR achieved global acclaim, for giving her the opportunity to collaborate with him. “I’m so happy to be coming back and making this movie in India because if there was any way to come back into Indian cinema, it was this. So I’m just really grateful to have a wonderful part and to be able to work with stalwarts like these two but also Rajamouli sir, who’s a visionary like we’ve never seen before,” Chopra said.
Priyanka Chopra praises Rajamouli’s working style
Speaking about S.S. Rajamouli’s working style, Priyanka admired his unmatched attention to technical detail. She playfully remarked, “We are actually spoilt in this set. Oh yeah, no one does this. It’s the worst!” before going on to describe his meticulous process. “He shoots the rehearsal—he shoots it with his cinematographer—exactly like [the final scene]. So this line will be a close-up; this line will be a wide shot, so everyone knows exactly what you’re doing by the time you get to set. So we’re never at a point where you’re unaware.” She went on to reveal how well-prepared the cast is before facing the camera, explaining that they often preview their scenes in edited form. “For most of our major scenes, we’ve shot and edited the scene with just us in track pants or whatever in our casual clothes just in a studio. But we know exactly what we’re doing, which, a lot of times, you don’t have the privilege to do,” Chopra shared.
Priyanka Chopra on returning to song and dance
Having spent several years in Hollywood, Priyanka finds a special joy in returning to the quintessential elements of Indian cinema with Varanasi. Among them, she counts the traditional song-and-dance moments as one of the most fulfilling parts of her comeback. “This is the first one that I’m doing after almost six years in India… my favourite part was getting to dance again. I haven’t done that in any of my Hollywood productions. I was really excited to be able to do that,” she said. Reflecting on her early discussions about the film, Priyanka admitted that dancing was something she insisted on including. “That’s something that was a big part of it,” she said, adding, “I would request that we have—I have to be able to dance in this movie.”
Priyanka Chopra teases the concept of ‘Varanasi’
“The reason it’s called Globe Trotter and the hashtag is #GlobeTrotter is because the movie moves around lots of, you know, not just time zones, but also time travel. So it’s really fun, and I can’t wait… if RRR was—if you were that impressed by that—then I think this will be a lot more fun,” Chopra concluded.
