Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra: I don’t have guards, I belong to my fans

 
21 January 2014
The Weekender

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She is one of the biggest stars in Bollywood — and Priyanka Chopra proved she has a healthy following in London too, when she was mobbed by fans at a signing event.

But, despite the attention she receives, the 31-year-old actress revealed she refuses to have a personal security team as she wants to remain close to her fans.

Giving a preview of her debut UK single, I Can’t Make You Love Me, at the Guess store in Regent Street, she walked out into the crowd of hundreds who had come to see her.

'GUESS Loves Priyanka' VIP Dinner at the London Edition Hotel on January 20, 2014 in London, England. Pic Shows: Pixie Lott; Eliza Doolittle Pic Credit: Dave Benett

She told the Standard: “We didn’t know how many people were going to turn up, so I was very happy to see so many people.

“I was told not to go outside as it was dangerous, but I said, ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’

“I ended up dragging a table outside to stand on so I could see everyone. I don’t believe in security. I belong to my fans — they are the ones who put me here.”

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 20: Priyanka Chopra attends the 'GUESS Loves Priyanka' VIP Dinner at the London Edition Hotel on January 20, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Getty Images for GUESS)

But she added: “I have had a few stalkers, and a few people have cut me while shaking hands by hiding razor blades in their palms, but that doesn’t bother me.”

Chopra was born in India to doctor parents, but her career began in London when she won Miss World at the Millennium Dome in 2000. Her win led to a series of film offers. She boasts 5.4 million followers on Twitter — more than the likes of Cara Delevingne or Paul McCartney.

Speaking at a private dinner at the London Edition Hotel, hosted by Guess after the signing, she added: “I wanted to study aeronautical engineering at college and work for Nasa. If things didn’t work out after Miss World, I was going to go back to college — that was the plan.

“But thankfully things worked out for me. I am a creative person and branching out into music felt like a natural thing for me to do.

“Britain is an important place for me and I’m really looking forward to releasing my single here.”

She admitted breaking into new territory was nerve-wracking, saying: “I feel like I am in high school again. I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God, will the popular kids like me?’”

Chopra — the new face of Guess — was joined at the dinner by Eliza Doolittle, Pixie Lott, and models David Gandy and Oliver Cheshire. Caroline Flack DJd at the store.

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