January 2001
ON TOP OF THE WORLD
Lovely Priyanka Chopra makes her stunning entrance onto the world stage and tells ZEE Premiere of her plans for her fabulous year as Miss World
Pages 28–29 | Exclusive Interview
There is a certain warmth in her personality that makes you feel quite comfortable when you are around her. It’s reflected in her smile, those big black eyes and of course, her congenial attitude. Miss World Priyanka Chopra, who hails from Bareilly in North India, has made Mumbai her abode in order to be halfway that has engulfed her after she was crowned the 5th of November at the Millennium Dome. Perhaps it has not sunk in yet. Although she’s excited when she speaks about that fateful day. “It was an overwhelming experience,” she says with a twinkle in her eyes.
Her humility combined with her enviable poise somehow belies her age. She will be 19 next year but confesses she comes across as much older. “People say I am mature,” maybe she should take my place,” Priyanka admits that she is fairly well known among her friends for being outspoken. She had a very tough question posed to her when she was crowned the title. “What qualities would you look for in a husband?” “I didn’t realise it at all. I only got to know about it after the contest when a journalist came up and asked me. Maybe I got mixed up,” she shrugs.
Priyanka had formed no fixed ideas of what she wanted to do. She admits that she is a woman who has a mind of her own and sticks to her answer when asked to correct herself in an interview. “I can think of many things,” she says, “but there are so many that come to mind I can’t name any.”
To be fair to her, she was only asked on the spot to give her name to packing her things and get ready for her new role as Miss World. “Actually I am trying to get over the shock of being crowned,” she says. In fact at times she looked over confident, but as it happens, she was a bright scholar. But there’s more to this 18 year old than just beauty. She admits to being a very good student and is planning to do her masters in child psychology. “I would give the platform now I am on much more time,” she says, adding “children with thalassemia need blood transfusions every 25 days. It’s very painful.”
Her other hobbies include sky diving and scuba diving. She enjoys travel, cooking, and with her newly crowned status, her travel itinerary is filled with countries. After that she is to complete her degree. “I have to complete my degree,” she says. “But she need not worry, there’s always Bollywood.”
“I have been approached by directors after Miss World happened. I wasn’t interested then. But now I feel most of them don’t want me just because I am Miss World. I want to be judged by my acting,” she explains.
“Oh, that’s because Indian girls do not have the height. Most of the girls there are very tall. Except for Madhuri Dixit and Sushmita Sen. She is not compared to them at all.” She explains why she feels Indian girls have been neglected. “We have a fantastic culture and values.”
But she is very clear on one thing. “I want to be judged by my performance, not by my looks.” She blushes. “I am also a very shy person.” But what is it about her that makes her Miss World? “It has to be confidence and self belief,” she says. “I think that is very important.”
She is very proud of her parents who were present at the Miss World contest. “They have been my biggest strength,” she says.
Her parents were also in the audience along with her brother. Former Miss Worlds Diana Hayden (1997) and Rita Faria (1966) also gave her ample support.
And of course, besides a huge Indian contingent, there was ZEE TV. “It was nice to see an Indian channel sponsoring such a huge event. I am really thankful to ZEE TV for their moral support.”
Before leaving she has a word of advice to those trying to emulate her. “I would advise all girls not to work so much on outside beauty. It’s within that matters most. That is eternal. Try and be a real person. Be ethereal.” She adds “Beauty has to come from within. You have to be genuine and nice to people.”
Priyanka Chopra may have conquered the world in the looks department. But with her gentility and authenticity she is bound to conquer more on this long journey which has just begun.
Priyanka Chopra talked exclusively to Kevin Rego
Photographs by kind permission of Lalit Raja
