Priyanka Chopra has stated in an interview how overwhelming it is that her music career has received a positive reception amongst her fans. Primarily known for being one of the most sought after actresses in Bollywood, Priyanka was bold enough to branch into the music industry and has collaborated with big names such as Will.I.Am and Pitbull. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Priyanka said the following regarding her successful music career. “People are just shocked that I can actually sing. I mean actors don’t really sing in India. So that is the very first feedback I got everywhere — whoa, you can sing! The response to ‘In My City’ in India was also quite good. It sold 130,000 copies in its first week and was certified triple platinum in about a month and a half of release. I am very proud of the song.”
Priyanka also spoke about her new single ‘Exotic’ where she collaborates with Pitbull and also has a desi flavour to it. “My upcoming album is in English and “Exotic” was initially going to be in English too. But in all my tracks I want to have some aspect of my Indian identity. “In My City” has some Indian instrumentation to give it flavor. For me, being Indian is very exotic. After Pitbull sent me his lyrics I suggested to “Exotic” producer RedOne that we could consider having some Hindi lyrics. He said, “Yeah, let’s try that” — and I quickly wrote the lyrics and sang it and he loved it. As I said, this is a summer song and we have so much fun in our Hindi movies and songs. We Indians really know how to party, man! And the world needs to see that. So the video has Indian-inspired dance steps too. It has a mix of Hindi and English, since the world is so global. An all-Korean song topped the Billboard charts, so why not a Hindi song?”
Touching also on her movie career, Priyanka mentioned about her upcoming Disney film Planes where she lends her voice to a key character. “Walt Disney is my favorite filmmaker in the whole world. They came to me with Planes three years ago — even before I was signed to Interscope — and I thought it was a really great idea. I loved Cars and I loved how they were going to extend that concept with Planes. My character, Ishani, is a pan-Asian champion from India and the romantic interest of the main lead, Dusty (voiced by Dane Cook). It’s a really great part and I gave her a desi flavor. For me it was important to do that because I see a lot of Indian characters on television and in films in the West and they usually have over exaggerated Indian accents. And it troubles me as an Indian who also spends time abroad, because that’s not how we really talk.”
In addition, Priyanka discussed her upcoming Bollywood release Krrish 3 opposite Hrithik Roshan, which releases on Diwali 2013. “I think this film will take Indian visual effects to another level. Most of the film’s VFX are being done by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s company, Red Chillies, which also worked on his Ra.One superhero action film. Krrish is India’s favourite superhero, and it’s exciting for me to be a part of this really beautiful film.”
‘Exotic’ drops today and is available now on iTunes and more! Stay tuned we will bring you the full video as soon as it is released!
