Priyanka Chopra: In Baywatch

Priyanka Chopra: In Baywatch, I will take on The Rock and his squad

Priyanka Chopra will play Baywatch’s ‘extremely dangerous, smoking hot’ villain. Considering her sizzling bikini look in Dostana, we have high hopes. You go girl! (File Photo)

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Priyanka Chopra is one of the few Bollywood stars to have earned popularity the world over. Putting all speculations to rest around her Hollywood debut, Priyanka recently posted a video online that features her with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, in which she announced that she will feature in the film, Baywatch, and will play a negative role. The actor will start shooting for the film next week. And though Priyanka is a little under the weather right now, she is excited about the way her career is shaping up.
Speaking to us from Montreal, Canada, she says, “I met the director (Seth Gordon) on Skype (laughs). The negative part was actually written for a man. I spoke to him for another role in the film, but he liked the idea of me playing the negative role despite being a woman. So, the script was reworked.”

Apparently, the actor met Dwayne for the first time when the announcement video was being shot. And Priyanka is all praise for him. “He is someone who understands the businessof cinema, and I admire that. He comes from a completely different career path, and he is a movie star now. It was fun getting to know him. It was the first time I met him, and the rest of the cast, in Miami, USA. Everyone’s really fun,” she says.

Priyanka is also excited about working on a film, which is based on a TV series she watched as a child. “It is one of the shows that I grew up watching, so I was very keen to read the script. I was also hoping that it would be a film that would live up to what my imagination of Baywatch was while growing up. And it totally does,” says the actor.

Priyanka is also looking forward to playing a negative role in her first Hollywood feature film. “It’s such a funny film. And I am really excited to play the antagonist, because it gives me the potential to create a really mean character. I am having fun,” she says.

Over the past couple of years, Priyanka has been doing Bollywood films that have strong female characters. “I’ve been fortunate, because the movies that have come to me have had strong female parts. I think, and I hope, that film-makers have a certain confidence in me to play these parts, whether it’s my character in Jai Gangaajal, Kashi in Bajirao Mastani (2015), or even Victoria in Baywatch,” says Priyanka.

There has also been a lot of buzz around her next, post the film’s trailer was released. “Prakashji (Jha; film-maker) and I have wanted to work with each other for almost six years. But somehow, it didn’t happen. Even when he came to me with this script, he told me that he didn’t know how I was going to do it,” says Priyanka, adding, “But it was always going to be difficult, because I was doing my TV show at the time, and it’s a weekly one-hour show. So, was very tough to take time out. But we did. And it is a film I’m really proud of. It’s a story that needs to be told, which is why I really wanted to do it.”

While she is excited about Jha’s film, Priyanka may not be able to come down to India to promote it, because of her hectic international work schedule. “When the date of release was finalised, Prakash sir and I had a conversation about it. I told him that it would be difficult for me [to come down], since the show will go on air in March. So, we decided that I will handle the international promotions, and he will handle domestic ones, just like Bajirao Mastani. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. It’s a good film,” she says. 

Priyanka Chopra: 'Baywatch' role was initially written for a man

Baywatch' antagonist was initially set to be a man but the makers decided to change the gender of the character after meeting Priyanka Chopra.

B-Town 'can't wait' to watch Priyanka Chopra in 'Baywatch'

The Bollywood star will make her Hollywood movie debut as villainous Victoria Deeds in the Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson-starrer. Priyanka is excited to play a negative character in the Hollywood project, a reboot of the hit '90s show of the same name. "It is so much fun to play a negative character because you have the liberty to go out of your comfort zone and do anything. Victoria is a very mean character," Priyanka told PTI in an interview over phone from Montreal, Canada. "It (the role) was initially written for a man and they were talking to me for another part. But after the director met me, they thought I would be better as a villain and then they changed the character to be a female," said the actress.

The star, whose earlier negative roles were in Bollywood movies 'Aitraaz' and '7 Khoon Maaf', will be seen taking on the Rock and his squad in the Seth Gordon-directed film. "It was really exciting that they changed the role for me. You have to be a very strong character to take on 'The Rock' and entire lifeguard squad. They will be six whereas I am alone. It looked very cool to me," she said.

The actress already made her successful international debut last year with American TV show 'Quantico', whose second season she is currently shooting. Priyanka, 33, will be next seen on the big screen in the role of a tough cop in Prakash Jha's 'Jai Gangaajal', which releases on March 4.

WATCH: 'Jai Gangaajal' Official Trailer 2 | Priyanka Chopra | Prakash Jha