Priyanka Chopra has recently shared insights into the sacrifices she made for her career, particularly regarding the time she missed with her father, Dr. Ashok Chopra, who passed away in 2013 after battling cancer. In various interviews and podcasts, Chopra has reflected on the profound impact his loss had on her and how it reshaped her perspective on life and her priorities.
Chopra has spoken about the pain she felt after her father's death, stating that it never truly goes away but becomes a constant companion. She realized that this pain would always be a part of her, manifesting in different ways over time. Some days, the grief would be overwhelming, while on others, a simple photograph would trigger a wave of memories.
In a conversation with Tiffany Reid, Chopra revealed that she often prioritized her career over family occasions, such as Diwali and her mother's birthdays. Driven by ambition and the desire to succeed, she would sometimes skip these important events, not fully realizing the significance of those moments until after her father's death. "I don't remember how many of my mother's birthdays I have forgotten or I might have missed," she confessed. "How many times I forgot to call her in my 20s? Or how many times like I missed Diwali because I am working in Europe and they don't have Diwali here so it's fine. I just skipped and missed and didn't think it was okay till I did".
The turning point came when her father fell ill. "Till my dad died and I didn't have another Diwali to be with him," Chopra said. "When he got sick, it was a really big… I think that was a very momentous moment for me where I realized that life is short and we worry about so many trivial things when there are so many big things for us to worry about". This realization led her to re-evaluate her priorities and focus on what truly mattered: family and loved ones.
Even after achieving significant success, Chopra emphasizes the importance of staying grounded and connected to her family. She makes a conscious effort to prioritize family time, recognizing that fame is merely a byproduct of her work and not her defining characteristic. "My fame is not my job," she stated. "It's very clear to me. I'm not famous for a living. I work for a living. And fame comes with it". Chopra also makes it a point to attend family functions, emphasizing that her family is the most important thing to her.
Earlier, Madhu Chopra, Priyanka’s mother, also shared her thoughts on Priyanka's relationship with her father and expressed her own regrets about certain parenting decisions. Madhu revealed that she sent Priyanka to boarding school at a young age and that she sometimes regrets that decision.
Despite the pain and regrets, Chopra has found ways to cope with her loss and honor her father's memory. She has a tattoo on her wrist that reads "Daddy's lil girl," a constant reminder of the close bond they shared. Chopra returned to work just four days after her father's funeral to the set of Mary Kom. She channeled her grief into the film's intense fight scenes. She also spoke about how filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's support during that difficult time. Bhansali, who attended her father's funeral, encouraged her to take her time and resume acting when she was ready.
Priyanka Chopra's story serves as a reminder of the importance of cherishing time with loved ones and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. While ambition and career success are important, they should not come at the expense of family and personal well-being.
