Failure is never an option.

Priyanka Chopra’s favourite quote is a line she lives by. From bursting on to our small screens as Miss World 16 years ago to wowing us on the Oscar red carpet last month, Priyanka is the local girl gone global. Truly global. With a twinkling eye on her target and a smile on her unmissable lips, the Bareilly girl who took over Bollywood more than a decade ago is now conquering American showbiz, one step at a time. From hobnobbing with Holly’s A-listers to cracking us up on the Jimmy — Kimmel and Fallon — couches to staring sexily out of a New York billboard, PC has done what no one before has managed — make her way into the global mainstream, yet play up her Indian roots. So, while our girl makes waves with Season II of her American TV debut Quantico and shoots her Holly film Baywatch in Miami, t2 spotlights ‘star strategist’ PC’s winning moves on the world map.

Exotic music journey

Traditional: Suraiya to Vyjayanthimala, Alia Bhatt to Shraddha Kapoor, a Bolly heroine who can sing a tune tests her vocal cords on home turf, going behind the mic for a Bollywood number. 

PC’S way: In September 2012, Priyanka — trained in Indian classical music since childhood — joined hands with popular rapper will.i.am to record and release her first single In My City. The single was a success — it sold 130,000 copies in its first week and was certified triple platinum — with PC making the international music scene sit up with: ‘Who’s that girl?’
That prompted Pitbull to collaborate with her on Exotic (above), in which PC’s exotic looks and easy voice scored many fans. Her third single I Can’t Make You Love Me ranked number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 6 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

PLUS: Both In My City and Exotic premiered at the opening of the National Football League — America’s premier sporting league — ensuring major eyeballs (and ear drums) for PC’s music and making her the first Indian artiste to showcase her work on such a huge platform.
 

GUESS who she branded with

Traditional: Bolly stars are chosen as faces of international brands in India (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for L’Oreal and Longines is an exception). 

PC’s way: In 2013, Priyanka was signed on as the face of GUESS Worldwide, becoming the first Indian to become a ‘GUESS girl’. Who shot her print ad? A certain Bryan Adams! 
#CloudNumberNine
 

AMERICA, HERE SHE COMES

Traditional: Every Bollywood star dreams of a spot under the Hollywood sun. While most wait by the sidelines for years, some manage to make a dent here and there, but — with the exception of our very own Victor Banerjee (think A Passage To India) back then and Irrfan Khan now — are mostly relegated to stereotypical side roles. 

PC’s way: Priyanka did the unconventional — focused her sights on American TV before films, choosing Quantico the big ABC 2015 fall launch as her debut in A-showbiz. While there have been Indian faces — Sendhil Ramamurthy (Heroes) to Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) — on many an American show, PC being PC did it with a difference: becoming the first Indian to frontline a Sunday primetime series. As Alex Parrish — an FBI recruit who is suspected of being a terrorist responsible for bombing New York’s Grand Central Terminal — Priyanka won many favourable reviews, including one from The New York Times that said: “The strongest human asset in Quantico is Chopra, a Bollywood superstar and former Miss World who is immediately charismatic and commanding.” 

The show’s decent viewership — thanks largely to PC — prompted the network to renew it for a second season at a time when some other big shows had been cancelled after the first season. Today, Quantico has made Priyanka a popular name in American showbiz, with that face staring out of bus bodies and billboards.

PLUS: Proof that PC has made a mark with Quantico: In January, she became the first Asian to win a People’s Choice Award (inset), claiming the statuette for Favourite Actress in A New TV Series. While she owned the red carpet in a shimmery Vera Wang number, PC also made quite an impression on stage, presenting an award to action superstar Vin Diesel.

Watch that bay!

Traditional: Apart from Irrfan — and Deepika Padukone who is presently shooting for xXx: The Return of Xander Cage — no current Bolly actor has managed to land a central role in a Holly film. 

PC’s way: In her big Holly debut Baywatch — based on the ’90s show we all loved (and some of us weren’t allowed to watch) — Priyanka plays the main antagonist, taking on Dwayne Johnson (left) and Zac Efron. Currently being shot in Miami, PC describes her character Victoria as “really mean”. Incidentally, it was a role written for a male actor, but one look at Priyanka in Quantico and the makers changed it to a woman so that they could sign on our desi girl. #WaytoGo

BIG O MOMENT

Traditional: With the exception of Aamir Khan who walked the red carpet for Lagaan more than a decade ago and Anil Kapoor who almost danced on stage when Slumdog Millionaire won big in 2008, very few Indians have earned the spotlight at the Oscars.

PC’s way: At the Oscars last month, she turned heads in a sheer Zuhair Murad number and elephant-sized baubles with sizeable red carpet time. She even taught the world to do the right red carpet pose (“Just become an ‘S’”, she laughed) and won fans as she nonchalantly downed tequilas for the cameras. Her big O moment? Presenting the Best Editing award — with Liev Schreiber — and rocking it like a pro on stage.

PLUS: The 30-second teaser of Quantico Season II aired at the Oscars, with everyone from Steven Spielberg to Leonardo DiCaprio watching Priyanka on the big screen. Yayy!