Desi Girl Turns 43: Five times Priyanka Chopra left us spellbound with her performances

[{"selector":"#anim-b1512ea8-a279-4f9b-99df-32f7fc92a58a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Source: ANI

The world knows her as the ‘Desi Girl,’ but to millions, she’s simply PC, the ‘bold,’ ‘fearless’ star who’s done it all.

[{"selector":"#anim-b53afc90-881e-403f-82d9-28cc57363ba4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e631a980-e3f0-425e-a990-02efa6002959","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-71d8730b-77ae-46b7-a743-643d6871f8ae","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 357.64634%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

From ruling the Miss World stage to taking over Bollywood, and now leaving a mark in Hollywood, Priyanka Chopra Jonas has never taken the safe route.

[{"selector":"#anim-16bdf85e-2b47-4e89-b4bf-8f8003c0f0fd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-935b2470-8d00-4c8d-b7ad-9f4b329987ec","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-723b3dc9-dab2-4fe6-b82e-4b240ba848f4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -136.33632%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

As she turns 43, lets revisit five of her most powerful performances that remind us why PC remains one of Indian cinema’s strongest female leads.

[{"selector":"#anim-d68a7fc1-2770-4cb4-9eb9-01995c2ddfc4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-812d5818-ee83-4525-9b77-c40cd60d187a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-11710222-51b5-4ff7-8a3c-f8b652439b13","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(105.37635%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-7ab34815-99b2-4e6a-8025-3c1838a6b361","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-55a6baeb-07c3-4276-b5f7-c4f4dea5391d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-decf60e1-1fde-4ad4-9c7c-52983fbaa3fa","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.37635%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Fashion (2008) This Madhur Bhandarkar drama saw Priyanka step into the high-pressure world of supermodels, fame, and its dark underbelly. As Meghna Mathur, PC delivered a layered, emotional performance, vulnerable yet bold. The National Award she bagged? Fully deserved.

[{"selector":"#anim-ebbf3865-251c-4998-9c96-918e39577110","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2abcbb0f-2c76-4734-93cb-861890e26bc7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.37635%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7cc7d920-5a6c-4dce-bbb5-718fa3dd1ac7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Aitraaz (2004) In a role way ahead of its time, Priyanka shocked audiences in Aitraaz, where she played the role of manipulative Sonia. With her fearless portrayal of a woman accused of sexual harassment, PC broke every stereotype of the “heroine” and made her mark as Bollywood’s bold new face.

[{"selector":"#anim-7eb6f08f-105b-43ea-8688-4491c40517b8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-362f59f7-9710-4464-8ec5-5ceb07c853e5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.64516%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d9721280-9755-4717-895f-60c90b3c9109","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Barfi! (2012) No makeup. No glamour. Just Priyanka as Jhilmil, a young woman with autism, fragile yet full of heart. The role was delicate, and PC handled it with empathy and grace. Her chemistry with Ranbir Kapoor was sweet, subtle, and deeply touching.

[{"selector":"#anim-9bda6315-92f2-4e54-a9dd-a7f551aac328","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4d20295c-a1e6-4e79-88fc-ad12295ac211","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.64516%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-545c92e3-7eb5-479f-bd0c-eb2b1fc79f74","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Mary Kom (2014) Taking on the role of India’s boxing legend wasn’t easy, but PC trained hard and delivered a knockout performance. From mastering the physicality to conveying Mary’s emotional strength, this biopic proved Priyanka could carry a film on her shoulders.

[{"selector":"#anim-62edef80-bf56-4577-b7dc-1e14bbaca0fb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-af9aff6e-01e1-4517-90a3-08935c76c74f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-105.37635%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-12240850-2bad-49fa-bf85-5b975eabdf9e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Bajirao Mastani (2015) In a film where the leads were Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, PC as Kashibai still stole hearts. Her elegance, pain, and quiet strength gave the film emotional depth. That confrontation scene? One of her finest.