Priyanka Chopra breaking stereotypes in her 'Parrish' avatar

The New York Times called Chopra "strongest human asset" in the show

In her role as Alex Parrish in the American TV series Quantico, Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra is defying stereotypes and redefining the way Indian women are portrayed by Hollywood. Playing the action-packed role of a fugitive Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officer in the show, Chopra breaks the mould of meek Indian characters with funny accents. That she is no stranger to action roles — her roles in Bollywood flicks Don and Mary Kom would have come in handy — is ably shown in Quantico . 

The precedence

A role in a Hollywood movie or an American TV series is often a dream of many Bollywood stars. While former Miss World Aiswarya Rai acted with a ‘no kiss rule’ in Bride and Prejudice and The  Mistress of Spices, there was Mallika Sherawat’s Hiss. We also had Irrfan Khan, Freida Pinto and Dev Patel doing some mainstream movies like Mighty Heart, Slumdog Millionaire  and The Life of Pi. Besides, we had Kabir Bedi acting in James Bond movies like Octopussy and the TV series The Bold and the Beautiful.

Parrish in action

Priyanka Chopra’s role in Quantico is much different from the other Indian stars’ characters in various Hollywood movies and TV series. She plays an American in the show, and not an Indian character. Breaking the meek Indian Bollywood woman stereotype, she is not averse to even having sex on screen with a stranger, in a car. Unlike Bollywood, again, she is not painted white, she has faults and is unapologetic of them, and she speaks without an accent and head shakes.

Quantico, the series

The series itself, though, is not exceptional or great in any way. It has some How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal  moments, too. The series has a wide variety of characters, an Indian woman in lead, a blonde, a Muslim, a marine, and a not-so-smart guy all coming together to the FBI training centre. 

The first episode, with lots of twists and turns — a bomb blast, a prison break, some flash backs — is intriguing, like many other shows in the same genre. Parrish is the suspect of the biggest attack on the US after 9/11 and is arrested, and after a Bollywood-style escape, she is ready to prove her innocence and catch the real culprits. 

The first episode got mixed reviews — mostly good. But one constant thing in all reviews seems to be applause for Chopra. The New York Times called her “strongest human asset” in the show. The show created by Joshua Safran might be the hit Chopra needed to shine in Hollywood.