~Sometime over the summer of 2015~
I first saw her while perusing Netflix looking for a decent film to watch. Something foreign I thought that night. I had long lost my taste for typical Hollywood fare, outside of a rare few exceptions. So I found myself searching endlessly through Amazon Prime and Netflix - or wherever I could find something...new.
I am always looking for something fresh. Thought provoking. Challenging. Dark. Exciting. Warm and soft. Something with textures, earth-tones, anything.
A documentary on the struggle of suburban human tax accountants in a post-apologetic scary-monkey-clown dominated society maybe?
Hmmm.
#ScaryMonkeyClowns
Anything for Christ sake.
ANYTHING...
Anything but Hollywood bland blah-blah garbage.
Something... Different.
I came across "Mary Kom"(2014) on Netflix and read the reviews.
I always try to not read random reviews left by people whom, for whatever reason, presume to be worthy enough to actually write a review. I always try. I invariably fail at this simple task I have given myself and I found myself again reading through the reviews anyway.
The reviews were all over the place. It was a Hindi film, and there were subtitles, which always turns off a percentage of people. It had not even dawned on me that this was a "Bollywood" creation yet(but more on that later). I had already gotten used to subtitles so I ignored the usual bitching about them in the reviews. There were a lot of 3 star(out of 5) reviews. Most were of the nature "too melodramatic" or complaints about "over the top acting", but in general the film was deemed worthy in many reviews. Some 4 or 5 stars mixed in saying how great the film was, that it was based on true events. It was based on a legendary Indian Boxing champion actually called Mary Kom. That the cinematography was outstanding. A few mentioned how amazing Priyanka was - but I had no idea who they were talking about yet. But also several 1 star reviews, many with the usual blurb "I would have left zero if I could" typed all in capital letters, the authors obviously unaware of any internet etiquette.
Perplexed and unsure of whether to watch the film based on what I had read - as usual - I hesitated.
I thought "Well, I can always look for another if I don't like it".
My fingers caressed the mouse, awaiting my final call.
"Bah what the hell" I muttered, fully expecting disappointment.
I clicked the arrow to begin the film.
This is not a review of "Mary Kom", so I will skip to the parts that interested me about this film that concerns Priyanka. The most interesting part of the film happened exactly when Priyanka Chopra stepped into the frame, immediately at the beginning of "Mary Kom".
For just a split second, she looked like a boy at first, or a strikingly handsome boy perhaps. A second later I realized this was indeed a girl. She was tallish, a very fit angular girl(the result of many months of intense workouts to make her look like a boxer I later learned). She had fake acne on her cheeks(I would figure out later), and she had strikingly strong facial features. Her high cheekbones stood out. Her lips were amazing. She had little or no make-up. But she was beautiful. Amazingly, effortlessly, beautiful.
And those eyes.
Her eyes initially reminded me of a feminine Disney character. Soft, warm, caring lady-like cat eyes. But those eyes would become fierce and determined, smoldering and angry - yet focused - and stay that way throughout much of the movie. Her facial expressions were magnificent. She was a mesmerizing actress(She has had plenty of practice; 50 Bollywood films and counting I would later find).
I could not take my eyes off of her.
Well she made me sit there and watch that whole movie.
Yes, parts were over the top. Yes, some parts a bit melodramatic. But this was Bollywood. Bollywood is almost always a bit (in general) melodramatic because - they put everything in their movies. Satire, comedy, drama, sad, happy, song and dance...everything. If you are going to mix all that up, you are going to get melodrama at points. And it's fun! Indeed I was lucky the entire cast did not break out into dance, and sing Indian love songs! I generally did not care for musicals (I love Bollywood now), so I might have gone on to watch something else if "Mary Kom" had turned out to be a musical. But no song and dance routines were in "Mary Kom". I am actually pretty sure Priyanka would have made me sit there regardless. Priyanka sings a song in the movie, however the song just plays while she is seen caring for her sick child. Yes, Priyanka Chopra can actually sing. Quite well it turns out.
The movie had a dramatic finish - this was an action-type boxing movie after all. Our heroine had a big battle with a tough German boxing champion. I found myself pulling for Priyanka's character like I was at ringside. The movie ended leaving me wanting more of her. A lot more.
I found myself rewinding to play back the last 10 minutes. And then again. And again.
I was smitten. I would never see her in any other movie I was afraid. I frantically clicked to her Netflix page and indeed, there were 4 other films there. I already knew I was going to watch them, but - who was this girl?
Who, what, where, how? How did I not know her?
Not expecting much, I decided to do a Google search. I thought maybe she had a wiki page, maybe a half a screen length. Or none at all. I was afraid I would never really learn about her. I was intrigued to say the least.
I was going to be sure to type her name right, but as I looked up, Google auto-filled her name.
Now I was relieved. Perhaps I would get to know this girl from India - just a little. Maybe she had a larger Wiki-page than I thought at first.
Her Wiki-page was actually only one of 17+ million other results for Priyanka Chopra. Well, to be clear, she has a few wiki-pages. See she needs another page for all her awards. I could not remember seeing a larger wiki-page actually. Wow the Nerds worked hard on this...
Wait... What? This admittedly amazing but still unknown (to me) Indian girl?
I double checked her name. Was this the same girl?
This girl I had fallen in love with already, in this small(I thought at the time) Hindi film. What?
P-R-I-Y-A-N-K-A. Yup, it was her name alright.
Still in disbelief, I quickly scrolled down the wiki-page looking for "Mary Kom". It took a bit but I found it.
I had just discovered Priyanka Chopra.
I have since learned many things about this lovely young lady. She is absolutely beautiful inside and out. She is inspiring. She is playful, laughs easily. She is quick to protect those dear to her. Her intelligence is easy to see. In interviews her responses are quick and sharp - she is always ahead of everyone else. On stage she is a diva. She dances as well as any I have ever seen. She has great confidence and pride about her.
She is a famous Bollywood actress(one of the reasons for her many awards). Priyanka is also an international recording artist(more awards).
She won Miss World 2000 apparently. Not sure how I missed that. I am usually on things like that...
That hot girl on NFL Thursday night telecasts singing the intro song "In My City"? The one I always said to myself "Who is THAT?".
Well THAT was her.
She actually sings that song. And others.
Her hit song "Exotic" ft. Pittbull is going on 80 million views now on YouTube.
Everyone is running to catch the Priyanka Chopra Train currently smashing through Hollywood
Oh and she became the face of GUESS in 2014. She is the first person of any ethnicity to do so. She has graced hundreds of magazine covers the world over. Not sure how I missed that either.
So she is also a world class model it turns out. No wonder I thought she was pretty.
But now she is ultra busy with all her international acting duties you see. Her wiki-page is gonna need more room it seems. Or maybe more Nerds to work on it. #MoreNerds...
Like Roy Schieder said in "Jaws":
"We're gonna need a bigger boat". Well, more Nerds perhaps...
But wait... She is only getting started. There is more. Much more.
The ABC hit television series "Quantico", the lead actress Alex Parrish?. Yes that is her. She is the first Indian Actor to ever helm a US television show.
She won a People's Choice Award in Hollywood for that. She is the first South Asian to ever win one of those. I guess they shoe-horned that tidbit on her wiki-page somewhere. #MoreNerdsPlease...
Just for kicks they invited her to present at the Oscar's(2016). Wow. Just. Wow.
And now the new villain in the upcoming Hollywood juggernaut Baywatch - with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson? With Kelly Rohrbach, Alexandra Daddario, Zack Effron. You know. Basic Hollywood A-listers?
Yup. That's gonna be her. Now THAT will take up some room on her wiki-page... #SorryBoutThatNerds #TheNerdsSayTheyNeedMorePages...
Remember when I said that I am always looking for something fresh. Thought provoking. Challenging. Dark. Exciting. Warm and soft. Something with textures, earth-tones...
Something... Different.
Well I found it.
Priyanka also introduced me to Bollywood. My other new-found passion.
For that, I will always be in her debt.
I must admit I will miss my innocent little Priyanka I thought I had found. Sniff.
But I can't wait to watch her take over the World.
Priyanka currently has 24 film awards and the Indian equivalent of an Academy Award from her 50 films in BollyWood
