Chat on hot tin roof

PRIYANKA CHOPRA IS CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THE BEST PHASE OF LIFE BOTH PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY. TANZIM PARDIWALLA CHATS WITH THE NEW MOMMIE ABOUT DIAPER DUTIES AND CONQUERING THE WEST

- TANZIM PARDIWALLA

It's a hot summer aftern in Mumbai and a long day of press for Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The actress was welcomed back home in India with much fanfare, with her musician noon husband Nick Jonas and daughter Malti Marie Chopra Jonas in tow. "It is so strange when someone says, 'Welcome Home' here," she muses as I ask her what it's like being back in Mumbai. The actress is as chirpy as ever, eager to talk about everything she has been up to. And she has been up to a lot. She featured in the Oscar-nominated The White Tiger and Keanu Reeves-led The Matrix: Resurrections in the same year; she wrote a sprawling memoir; opened a restaurant in New York; welcomed her first child, Malti Marie Chopra Jonas, via surrogacy; and now, she's headlining a big-budget spy thriller series, Citadel. The Russo Brothers-backed show sees her perform mindboggling stunts in high-octane action sequences alongside Richard Madden. The Hollywood production has international instalments, including an Indian version. In a microcosm, it is telling of Priyanka's global stardom. Yes, she is an Indian. But she's not just the token Indian cast member. She's made sure of that. And when the desi girl talks about it, eyes glowing with conviction, it's impossible to look away.

WHAT WENT INTO CREATING THAT CRACKLING CHEMISTRY WITH RICHARD MADDEN IN CITADEL?