Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas believes the entertainment industry has become more accessible than ever before, saying that creative ideas now matter more than traditional gatekeepers in determining success, according to Variety. Speaking at the Cannes Lions conference, Chopra Jonas pointed to the success of the low-budget horror hit Obsession as evidence of how barriers to entry for talent and filmmakers have fallen.
“I feel like if you have an idea, shoot it, put it on YouTube, and it can become Obsession, the movie that just came out,” Chopra said. “What a wonderful time to be an entertainer, to be in the entertainment business, because ideas are your currency.”
The global star reflected on the challenges she faced while entering the film industry, noting that she came from a family with no connections to cinema. “My parents were doctors, so none of us had any idea how to navigate film,” she said, as quoted by the outlet. Recalling the early days of her career, the iconic star said the industry was once far more exclusive and difficult to enter.
“It used to be such a niche industry when I first started. If you wanted to get into filmmaking, you had to figure out what department you wanted to be in,” she said, according to Variety. The actor also spoke about perceptions surrounding Indian cinema during her early years in the industry. “I was told that Indian cinema would never be as global as Hollywood because we’re not English-language, and not everybody understands whatever language our movies might be in, whether Hindi, Telugu, Marathi or anything else,” she said.
Chopra Jonas said her decision to launch a production company was driven by a desire to support emerging storytellers. “I started my production house to support new filmmakers, or filmmakers who have great ideas but don’t have the ability to open doors that I may be able to open,” she said. The actor, who recently appeared in streaming successes Citadel and Heads of State, also revealed that she is looking to broaden the scope of her English-language career.
