Priyanka Chopra's 2017 MET Gala appearance was a stepping stone in her journey towards global popularity

Priyanka Chopra’s rise as a global icon is not unknown to the world. Being one of the few coloured women to headline an American TV show and work in a Hollywood film with Dwayne Johnson, Priyanka has come a long way from her career as a Bollywood actress. Chopra has expanded her brand to launch dating/work websites, has collaborated with UNICEF to become its Goodwill Ambassador and has now turned host to an eclectic group of women achievers in a Youtube show. As the 2019 MET Gala took place on 7 May 2019, it seemed like Priyanka’s journey with her husband Nick Jonas came a full circle in the three years since they met. In a recent interview, the couple opened up about their fashion inspirations. Talking about their MET appearances, Priyanka spoke about the dash of Indian culture that the actress added to her quirky combination, in terms of a bindi. Nick added that Louis XIV was their main inspiration. The couple also realised that the 2019 gala was ’technically’ their three-year anniversary by the end of the video. Priyanka’s projects reflect a conscious choice towards upholding women’s rights. Even her production house, Purple Pebble Pictures, strives to tell unique narratives of women. The 2017 MET Gala has had a special place in Priyanka Chopra’s journey of global entertainment domination. The Gala was not only Priyanka and husband Nick Jonas’ first official joint appearance, it was also an important juncture for the actress individually. Fashion critics hailed Priyanka’s bold choice with her 2017 ensemble and the internet erupted with memes on her Ralph Lauren trench coat.

Actually, this trench coat-gown by @RalphLauren on Priyanka Chopra is a weirdly great combo. #MetGala pic.twitter.com/bBZ8GQZsNT

— Vanessa Friedman (@VVFriedman) May 1, 2017

This was probably a rare occasion when an actress was stepping out of her comfort zone to sport the unconventional with this much confidence. Priyanka’s appearance led to a flurry of media appearances and interviews. This was soon followed by appearance on celebrity talk shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Talk, The Wendy Williams Show and the like, where the actress deftly handled questions on her experiences with Hollywood and whether it was slightly more difficult for her as an outsider as well as a woman of colour. Known to be close to celebrity talk show host Jimmy Fallon, the actress has appeared a total of five times on his show. Appearing in an interview for The View, Priyanka even weighed in on then-controversy of the hour, the portrayal of Simpsons’ coloured character of Apu. The actress confidently confessed that Apu was “the bane” of her life. “He was the bane of my life growing up. I was always asked when I was in high school — like at 14, 15 — why I didn’t speak like that or… did I find gold in my rivers? Did we go to school on elephants. I always had questions like that,” the 35-year-old actor said on talk show. “A lot of people are talking about, ‘Oh, the show was so successful for 30 years; why are we suddenly waking up and being offended by a character that everyone loved?’ People say that ‘The Simpsons’ makes fun of every race”. While she agreed that’s true, she argued that Apu long served as the only Indian representation on American TV, and that much has changed since the show premiered in 1989.

“What happened from that time to now, the population of Indian-Americans in America has tripled since that time. So the voice is louder, representation and the demand for representation for people of colour is louder. There is the internet and the media where people can have a conversation,” Priyanka said. Priyanka shifted her focus to works of philanthropy in 2018. The actress made her way to Bangladesh in May 2018 to meet Rohingya refugee children in put up in camps. The actress also made her way up to the border area near Myanmar where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya women, children and men crossed following the escalation of violence in August 2017.

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This is little Shohida (8 months old), who stole my heart with her infectious smile. It’s a poignant reminder of the dichotomy of life…here she was getting all the help she needed, when just a few months before, her mother, Alada (who was only 19 years old at the time) walked for 15 days, while 6 months pregnant with her ,to get across the border. It shows us that there is hope left in this world. When you’re dealing with a mass exodus of thousands of people, who have been displaced from their homes and are desperate for refuge, the need for proper health and nutrition takes center stage…especially for women and children. On the various Unicef Field Visits I have taken, I am always surprised by the simple yet effective solutions that @unicef and their partners develop to deal with the most dire and pressing situations and issues. This is something I experienced again today during my visit to the Nutrition Centre at the Jamtoli camp in Cox’s Bazar. More than 60,000 babies have been born in the camps over the past 8 months, so this center is an essential resource for new mothers to learn about proper feeding and nutrition. It all begins with the MUAC, a process where the child’s middle upper arm is measured to ascertain their nutrition level. From there, aids create a program for the child and a nutrient rich, ready-to-eat peanut paste is portioned out for each child based on the severity of malnutrition. At the Center mother’s are also taught basic hygiene and good health practices when they are in their homes. The world needs to care. We need to care. Please lend your support at www.supportunicef.org #childrenuprooted @unicef @unicefbangladesh

A post shared by Priyanka Chopra Jonas (@priyankachopra) on May 23, 2018 at 12:32pm PDT

In the same month, the actress was part of a prestigious group to meet the Indian Prime Minister in regards to being a patron for the Partners’ Forum being hosted that year. The venture’s aim was to improve and transform access to quality healthcare at at every life stage for women, children and adolescents, in an effort to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030.

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Very grateful to the honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi to meet me, Shri J.P. Nadda (Indian Health Minister) and Mrs. Michelle Bachelet, (former President of Chile, incoming #PMNCH Chair) in regards to being a patron for the Partners’ Forum which is being held in New Delhi in December this year. The aim is very important - the improvement and transformation of access to quality healthcare at at every life stage for women, children and adolescents, in an effort to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030. This year, India will play host to the largest ever Partners’ Forum, with more than 1,200 delegates from more than 92 countries. It was an insightful, positive conversation which was very heartening and inspiring because of the personal commitment of everyone at the meeting. We covered a lot of ground from the various efforts being taken by individual countries & partners to building a collective environment that could help propel the change we seek for a better world. We started something important today and I am looking forward to what is being set in motion. @narendramodi #JPNadda #MichelleBachelet #2018PMNCHLive #PMNCH #PartnersForum

A post shared by Priyanka Chopra Jonas (@priyankachopra) on Apr 11, 2018 at 10:11am PDT

The actress married Nick in December, 2018 in a lavish three-day affair, exclusively covered by People magazine. Ralph Lauren, whose curated looks famously brought the couple together in 2017, stepped in to design the couple’s attires for their Christian wedding. From appreciating its exquisite design, to generating memes on Priyanka’s 75-foot long tulle trail, the Ralph Lauren creation had fashion enthusiasts enthralled.

It was at the same time that the actress was declared the first Indian woman to feature on the cover of American Vogue. The magazine did not just release images, it carried a full-fledged interview of the actress , her career and her life with Nick. In its 126 year history, Priyanka’s feature as cover girl was one of Vogue’s most progressive steps toward inclusion, a fact which was lauded across the board.

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Surprise: @priyankachopra is our January cover star! Here is an exclusive sneak peek at her cover shoot; tap the link in our bio to read our full interview with Chopra on her and @nickjonas’s modern-day love story, their upcoming wedding plans, her boundary-breaking career, and more. Photographed by #AnnieLeibovitz, styled by @tonnegood, Vogue, January 2019

A post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine) on Nov 29, 2018 at 6:03am PST

The actress has then gone on to star in Rebel Wilson’s romantic comedy Isn't It Romantic . She also launched Bumble, a social cum dating app. Priyanka also turned host recently by collaborating with YouTube on one of their original ventures. On the occasion of International Working Women’s Day on 9 March this year, the actress unveiled the trailer of the talk show If I Could Tell You Just One Thing, where she was seen interviewing fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, US Olympic gold medalist gymnast Simone Biles, and Ocean’s 8 and Crazy Rich Asians actor-rapper Awkwafina.

There is so much we can learn from each other...I'm grateful to @DVF, @Simone_Biles and @awkwafina for joining me on my show and sharing so many amazing stories as you'll see on  #JustOneThing - my new @YouTube original special, releasing on 27th March, 2019. https://t.co/kG5fA99HJX

— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) March 8, 2019

Post her marriage to Nick, Priyanka continues her not-so-secret love affair with the media. The duo attended the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscars after party where the couple’s cute PDA was a highlight for the paparazzi. Hair tied up in a loose style, Priyanka stunned in a sparkling black halter gown by Elie Saab while Nick sported a silky navy blue suit and bow tie. The duo also featured in ‘ _Sucker_ ’, the Jonas Brothers’ comeback album in 2019. Priyanka’s quirky yet vintage look was a talking point for most.Priyanka recently also attended the 2019 Billboard Music Awards with Nick. The actress glistened in a white embellished Zuhair Murad Haute Couture gown. Having made giant leaps towards always breaking barriers and stereotypes, Priyanka (thankfully) seems in no mood to take a back seat.