PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS: Fame, Motherhood, Love and the Moment That Changed Everything

Summary

On Purpose with Jay Shetty Episode: PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS: Fame, Motherhood, Love and the Moment That Changed Everything Release Date: February 25, 2026

---

EPISODE OVERVIEW

Jay Shetty sits down in-studio with global icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas for a deeply honest and heartfelt conversation. The episode explores Priyanka’s life transitions over the past five years, encompassing her journey from Bollywood to Hollywood, the challenges and joys of new motherhood, her evolving sense of peace and purpose, the impact of her marriage with Nick Jonas, and how she navigates public scrutiny, fame, and personal healing. At the heart is a powerful discussion about letting go, redefining ambition, and cultivating presence in family, faith, and self.

---

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Reconnecting After Five Years

• [03:21] Jay welcomes Priyanka, highlighting her remarkable dual-industry career and shared celebrations. Priyanka jokingly reacts to her accolades feeling “obnoxious” when read to her face.
• [03:34] Priyanka: “It’s fine if it’s written about or at a bit of a distance, but when you say it to my face, I don’t know, it feels obnoxious a little bit.”

2. The Biggest Life Shifts: Seeking Peace & Embracing Motherhood

• [05:47] Priyanka shares her newfound sense of peace, contrasting her former relentless ambition and perfectionism with her current joy in family life.
  • “I think I’ve found a sense of peace. I ran really fast for a really long time and it was all I knew…Now I prioritize time with family, being at home, nesting...” ([05:47])
• Talks about moving back to LA, the joy of home organization, and how values have shifted since becoming a mother.
• [10:01] “Hardworking limits your mind itself to finding that balance…If you can find that balance, that’s the dream.” – Priyanka

3. Transitioning from ‘Doing’ to ‘Being’

• [09:01] Priyanka discusses the value of “time to waste” as a luxury and letting herself relax without guilt for the first time in her life.
  • “Having time to waste. What a luxury...to just sit and not be answerable to anything.”
• Explores how ambition and work ethic, especially in South Asian culture, shaped her self-worth, and unlearning this narrative.

4. Marriage, Sincerity & Growing Together

• [12:28] Priyanka reflects on how Nick Jonas’ sincerity influences her own openness:
  • “My husband is just so sincere and honest—it's disarming...To see that on camera, it was a wonderful interview.” ([12:28])
  • “Being married to him helped me find this ease and comfort as I navigate life.”
• She shares about mutual support in parenting and how their partnership makes even tough things easier.
• Parenting Rhythm: “We always talk about how we will navigate a situation and are always on the same page when it comes to her.” ([15:31])

5. Vulnerability in the Public Eye & the Power of Podcasting

• [16:10] Discusses navigating honesty in a world of clips and quick judgments, why she’s experimenting with being more her “real self” in public interviews.
  • “I’m trying it out with you. You’re my guinea pig.” ([17:05])
• On perception vs. reality: “What I might remember may just be my perspective…Perception is definitely not reality.” ([24:37])

6. Personal Growth, Compassion & Letting Go

• [19:55] Priyanka discusses being hard on herself, learning patience, and how motherhood taught surrender and perspective.
  • “I used to always feel like the sky will fall if I stop working one day...”
• Jay and Priyanka exchange Zen teachings on letting go (“Letting go is hard, but holding on is harder.” – [23:09]) and discuss reconciling with their former selves.

7. Learning from Therapy, Self-Compassion & Nick’s Role

• [19:00] Priyanka reveals lessons from therapy and her ongoing process of understanding herself, forgiving the driven, younger “control freak” version.
  • “I look at my 20-year-old self and applaud her for surviving…” ([23:37])
• On being a perfectionist and her younger self’s unapologetic ambition, now softened with perspective and self-acceptance.

8. Dealing with Public Scrutiny and Social Media Negativity

• [43:53] Priyanka shares handling public commentary about her marriage:
  • “I just don’t think about it anymore. I want to focus on the good in my life…and I feel really blessed.”
• Offers advice on boundaries, selective sharing, and protecting privacy, drawing parallels between social media and traditional “back-of-the-kitchen” gossip in Indian families ([47:03]).
  • “Nothing’s really changed. It’s just how much information we are absorbing…protect your sanity by understanding this comes with the territory.” ([47:04])
• Memorable quote: “There’s a Hindi song: ‘Kuch toh log kahenge.’ People will always have something to say.” ([50:00])

9. Her Bollywood Exit: The Real Story

• [51:29] Addresses others’ claims she was pushed out of Bollywood:
  • “I did feel like I was in a place where I felt cornered, where work was limited, and in order to survive…I just needed to move…This time, it just happened to be across continents.”
• Candidly discusses the challenges of political, moment-driven industry dynamics.
• Shares how music (her short-lived pop star era) and key mentors helped her transition, but ultimately acting in Hollywood allowed her to rebuild from the ground up:
  • “I was drowning and I was suddenly pulled out and I could breathe.” ([55:01])
• On starting over: “It meant kind of erasing my accomplishments up until now…you have to start all the way at the bottom again.” ([60:50])

10. Loneliness, Loss, and Rebuilding in Hollywood

• Opens up about losing her father during this period, navigating grief, isolation, and starting afresh in a new country.
• Finds gratitude for the people who supported her: “They really held me together at that time when I didn’t have friends and family around me.” ([65:16])

11. Celebration and Expressing Appreciation

• Discusses making a conscious habit of reaching out to appreciate people while they’re alive—a practice inspired by loss and missing the opportunity with her father ([67:28]).
  • “Everyone deserves to hear that you are appreciated…”

---

MOTHERHOOD & THE MOMENT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

Birth Of Her Daughter, Malti Marie

• [76:19] Priyanka details her and Nick’s struggle with infertility and their daughter’s dramatic premature birth at 27 weeks.
  • “She’s a miracle baby because she was my only hope at that time to be able to have a baby. So when we were told she’s coming at 27 weeks, I just shut down...”
• Vividly describes Malti’s struggles in the NICU—her fragility, medical challenges, and the emotional and spiritual resilience it required:
  • “We did shifts so she could be on our skin…the nurses said from day two of life that we should do skin to skin. Nick would sing to her… I had my mantras playing all day…”
  • “It was a brutal time. But I think I talk to myself in tough situations…Once I got out of the stunned nature of it, I realized how afraid she must have been, so I didn’t have the privilege of being upset. I had to show up as her mom.” ([78:47])
• Touching arrival home:
  • “That’s the first time I really wept—for the grace that she survived, that she was home, that she chose us…”
• On accepting timing and her journey:
  • “If I would have done it earlier, would it have been the wrong time? It wouldn’t have been her soul…It couldn’t have been any other way.” ([85:05])

The Power of Faith

• [87:52] Faith is described as the anchor in her hardest moments, rooted in her family’s spirituality and her own relationship with Shiva.
  • “Faith should feel like a hug, like a safe place. And my faith has always felt like that to me.”

---

NOTABLE QUOTES & MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• On Growth: “When you’re holding onto something really, really tight…you’re exhausting your muscles. And that’s people who like to control things…And maybe that was how I achieved what I did, but that’s something I’ve really worked on.” ([21:06])
• On Parenting: “You think you’ve done all the self-work and then you have a child and you’ll know exactly how far you are…” ([20:01])
• On Resilience: “I have to smile for her, I had to equip myself to take care of a preemie baby and make sure she’s the healthiest she can be. It’s not about me or him.” ([78:47])
• On Partnership: “What every girl wants is to be with a man competent enough that you will trust them to guide you in the right place…Nick has this innate wisdom that I trust.” ([42:24])
• On Self-Acceptance: “To be able to forgive yourself for how you were when you were young…just focusing on the future and present…” ([25:14])
• On Navigating the Public Eye: “People will have an opinion on you. So protect your sanity by understanding that this comes with the territory.” ([47:04])
• From Nick Jonas’s Letter: “You’re the center of our universe. Building this life with you is the greatest honor I have. Knowing we’re a team gives me a sense of peace I can’t even describe.” ([91:24])
• On Faith: “Faith should feel like a hug…My faith has always felt like that to me.” ([89:44])

---

TIMESTAMPED HIGHLIGHTS

• Finding A New Pace of Living & Parenting: [05:47] – [10:51]
• Therapy & Letting Go of Control: [19:00] – [24:37]
• The Importance of Appreciation: [67:28] – [70:26]
• Dealing with Social Media & Gossip: [43:53] – [50:10]
• Bollywood Exit & Reinvention: [51:29] – [61:16]
• Motherhood & Malti’s NICU Journey: [76:19] – [87:02]
• Power of Faith: [87:52] – [89:44]
• Intimate Letter from Nick Jonas: [91:02] – [93:05]
• Work, Ambition, and Enterprising Mindset: [115:17] – [118:31]
• Playful Game Segment (“Would You Rather” & Gut Reaction): [97:42] – [111:23]

---

CONCLUSION

This episode stands out for its layered, candid exploration of identity, perseverance, love, grief, faith, and reinvention. Priyanka Chopra Jonas shares her journey through immense challenges—personally and professionally—while emphasizing that presence, openness, and compassion (for herself and others) are now her guiding values. Her wisdom on surrender, boundaries, and thriving beyond prescribed “lanes” will resonate with anyone navigating transformation, adversity, or high-stakes ambition.

Recommendation: Listen for wisdom on letting go, healing in family and motherhood, and inspiration to trust your journey—however unpredictable or unconventional.

---

End of Summary.

Transcript

[Jay Shetty]

This is the iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human Checking off the boxes on your to do list is a great way to keep your mind clear. That's why a State Farm agent is there to help you choose a coverage option that's right for you as you go through life getting that new house, car, boat, motorcycle or even rv. Helping Protect it is always a good idea. Whether you prefer talking in person, on the phone or on the award winning app. State Farm is there to help protect what's important to you. And with so many coverage options, it's nice having help to find what fits for you. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there we spend so much time managing stress and wellness, but sometimes it's the unseen things around us that throw us off. Like allergens hiding in the air we breathe at home. That's where Clorox Pure Allergen Neutralizer Daily Air Spray comes in. Developed with allergists, it neutralizes common household allergens like pollen, dust, mite matter and pet dander right where they can linger most in the air. There's also Clorox Pure Allergen Neutralizer Fabric and carpet spray for carpets, couches and bedding where allergens can lurk. Add Clorox Pure to your daily routine to stop allergens before they become allergies. Find it in the air care aisle at a retailer near you. Whether you're calling the wise women in your life, video, calling your friends across the country, or checking in on someone who always knows how to make you smile, staying Connected matters those small conversations, shared laughs and quick hellos are what keep relationships strong, even when life gets busy. Some of the most life giving conversations start with just a phone call. That's why AT&T guarantees a network you can rely on so you can focus on the moments and people that matter Most. That's the AT&T guarantee. AT&T connecting changes everything. Terms and conditions apply. Visit att.comguarantee for details.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

When we were told that she's coming 27 weeks, I just shut down and we got a text saying her birth is gonna be put out. We were kind of forced into announcing her birth. We weren't ready cause we didn't know what would happen with her.

[Jay Shetty]

Hey everyone, welcome back to On Purpose. Today's Guest is one of our most popular episodes ever, even though we did it digitally, even though we were all living very, very different lives. And I'm so excited that today we get to have her not just on camera but in the studio. I'm speaking about the one the only Priyanka Ch Jonas, an award winning global actor, producer and entrepreneur who is led at the highest levels of both Bollywood and Hollywood. With over 60 films to her name, multiple Filmfare awards and recognition on Time 100's most influential people list, she's become one of the most influential artists in entertainment. Priyanka's new movie the bluff, a 19th century pirate action thriller is out now on Amazon Prime Video. You won't want to miss this one, I promise you. Please welcome Priyanka Chopra. Jonas. Priyanka, it's great to have you here.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Wow. That intro was like. I was so tight as you were saying it.

[Jay Shetty]

What were you feeling? What goes through your head when you hear all those amazing accolades? Amazing. And you know that was just the tip of the iceberg. There's so many more.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It's fine if it's like written about or it's at a little bit of a distance, but when you say it to my face it's like, I don't know, it feels obnoxious a little bit.

[Jay Shetty]

Oh well, I think that's a sign of your good character. But I wanted to add to the formal introduction just how the little time we spent together how wonderful it's always been. Whether I bumped into you at friends birthday parties like last year or whether it's the amazing Diwali party that you and Nick threw a few years back which has stayed etched in our memory, or whether it's the super bowl party, seeing as we've just gone past Super Bowl. We came over to you for a Super bowl party once and you're like the best host. Like I literally felt, I was like, you're making sure we'd eaten and making sure we'd drunk and just the best experience with you and the family always. And so thank you for being as kind off screen as you are on screen and just as wonderful as well. And it's been a, it's been a gift getting to know you and I'm so glad you're back in la.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Me too. I'm so glad to be back in la. And thank you. We do, you know, we, we're house proud. We like, we've always liked hosting and having friends and family over. I mean, I'm Punjabi anyway and I married a Punjabi American. I think we're just so similar when it comes to those values and we both just enjoy it so much. Like I. Our first Thanksgiving together, it was in Delhi because I was filming a movie there and I remember my mom was giving a toast and she said, may Your table always grow longer and bigger and it always include people you love. And I feel like that is something that happened to us and we really enjoy it.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, it's beautiful. You do a great job of it. I was just looking back and I just showed you the last time you were on the show was exactly five years ago by like four days difference, which is wild.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Five years ago.

[Jay Shetty]

Exactly. Exactly five years ago in February. When I. When I think about how much your life has changed from the outside, what to speak of your own experience of your own life, I wanted to ask you what's. What's the most surprising thing that you enjoy about this stage of your life that maybe you wouldn't have seen five years ago or maybe wouldn't have noticed five years ago, but you've kind of discovered as where you are right now of what's bringing you joy, what's, you know, lighting up your life.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

My daughter and also I think I've found a sense of peace. I ran really fast for a really long time and it was all I knew. I was dropped into a business at a very young age that I had no idea about, nobody in my family had any idea about. It started with pageants and then Bollywood movies and then Hollywood. But I think in all of that it's so uncertain, right? Our jobs, it's gig to gig. So when I first started it was just like about you have to keep moving and what's the next thing. And it was sort of like this weird training that I didn't know how to unlearn and I didn't know that there was any other way of being. And over the last few years, and I don't know if it's the influence of my husband, my moving countries, working at a different pace, becoming a parent, maybe it's a confluence of all of them, but I feel at a sense of peace with what I've been able to achieve and what I may or may not achieve. Like initially I was. I'm still a perfectionist, but I think I was greedier when it came to ambition. Now I think I prioritize time with family, being at home, nesting like right now. We've just moved back to our house in la, so unpacking, packing, putting stuff together, editing out, you know, Malti's closet, she's four. I have stuff in there from when she was two, you know, Nick's stuff. It's just, it's so fun to go into. Like I. My mother in law taught me this but you know, seasonal to bring out like Everything that's seasonal in your pantry and, like, make sure that the plates are right and, you know, just. It's. It was never something I would have enjoyed doing, even, like, seven years ago or eight years ago. It's a shift in just my whole being, and I'm still coming to terms with it and familiarizing myself with it, but I'm allowing myself the time to kind of be in it. I would have, you know, berate myself earlier. You know, made myself feel guilty for taking a day off. I really romanticized not taking time off. So it's like a complete 360, which is. I'm coming to terms with it myself.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, I can imagine. I mean, it feels like you're the expert of knowing when to shift speed. Because when you think about the way you dominate Bollywood and the success you had there, coming over to Hollywood at peak success, you know, when you're already winning and then you go, oh, no, I want another gear. So you come over, winning here, and then now, as you're saying, winning here and then going, oh, no, now I want a different gear. And it almost feels. Would you say it's just time and age, or is there something else that allowed you to be at peace, as you said? Because peace is such a. I think we often think when we're young that pleasure and joy and enjoyment and happiness are the goal. And then as you get older, you realize peace was actually always.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It's having time to waste. What a luxury, not spend. Because it's a currency time. I feel like with your family, with people you love, or on the job. I love being on set. It's one of my favorite places in the world. But it's when you can just sit and not be answerable to anything. And I take that privilege also very seriously. I know this has not been handed to me. I have worked really hard to be where I am, so I'm allowing myself that time. You know, our daughter started in a new school. I love being able to pick her up from there, hear her stories and, like, be around and, you know, maybe it's just time, age, space. Where I am at the moment, I'm not sure. But I think that every other pivot of mine didn't feel like it was something I controlled.

[Jay Shetty]

Interesting.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I felt pushed into it. This is the first time I feel like I'm allowing myself to not push myself so hard and see what happens. I used to always feel like, you know, the sky will fall if I stop working one day. And a lot of us are wired that way. I think especially from India and Asia, we have this work ethic which our parents probably, because they had to, you know, in order to survive and to make it in an ever changing world in their generation, they. They had to go really hard. So I think our generation grew up thinking that that was the way to be. But I think I've learned to look inwards a little bit and that's okay. And allowing myself that. Yeah. But the other pivots, I just did the best I could.

[Jay Shetty]

But I love that. That agency and that control. And you're right, the same. We were just talking camera a second ago, this idea of. I was sharing that, you know, my mom would drop me to school, work during the day, pick me up, then she'd go back out to work in the evenings. And often I'd just go with her and fall asleep by her leg while she was in an appointment or a meeting. And I just got to see how hard my mom worked. And that, of course, has lots of benefits, as you said, in terms of building discipline, hardworking mentality. And then at the same time, it comes a point where maybe you have to. When you get the privilege or the opportunity to peel back from it to be able to shift.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah. And it's such a privilege, like you have to work hard to survive in this life. And people work really, really hard. And some people, you know, work in jobs that, you know, you might not want or be in, but you have to survive. So I take that. That privilege of this. And it's just this year, honestly.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. It's the first time in my life,

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

first time I'm actually doing it where I. You don't want to take that moment to kind of indulge in my family. And I think, you know, sometimes hardworking limits your mind itself to finding that balance. And. But if you can find that balance, that's the dream.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. You. Nick was here just literally like two, three weeks ago.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It was the best interview.

[Jay Shetty]

Oh, wow. That's.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It was the best interview.

[Jay Shetty]

You don't have to say that. No, I don't have to say that. You don't have to say that.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I had so many people who called me about it and just hearing it, both of you, I mean, it's who you are, but it's also. My husband is just so sincere and honest, and it's like disarming. And to see that on camera. It was a wonderful interview.

[Jay Shetty]

I was going to ask you, did you debrief? Do you both talk about when you get back from these.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Not when we get back when the clips come out, like, you know, when you get back home, you're like, ah, let's watch a movie. Talked about myself all day. Can't do that anymore. So I don't think we got into it. Like, I had no idea about what you guys spoke about, but when the clips come out and I'm seeing it then, then of course we talk about.

[Jay Shetty]

No, my favorite thing is to be sitting opposite someone who's that sincere because it just allows for this really genuine dialogue to come out. And. Yeah, no, I'm glad that you got a chance to see it. I'm glad that, you know, I got to be.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It's easy to be that.

[Jay Shetty]

No, no, it isn't.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And especially in our profession, like, I mean, you do it differently, but, you know, when it's a public facing profession, you get media trained. You can't help it.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Like, when you do it for long enough, you know, how to navigate different questions, how to deflect from what you don't want to answer. And I have an added layer of it because I have a pageant background so that I can really deflect.

[Jay Shetty]

Oh, wow.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

You know, so it's. For me, it has always been really, really tough to reach that deep part of myself when I'm on camera. I find it uncomfortable. But it was very inspiring to watch that interview and see Nick do it. I mean, that's the most inspiring thing about my husband for me. And which is why, you know, I give a lot of credit to being married to him, to have been able to find this ease and comfort as I navigate life. Like, even the, the tough things are kind of easier to handle because he's with me and it's so different than what life was like 10 years ago. And so I think that, you know, it's being able to see him do that has helped me also get in touch with my feelings a little bit more and articulate them.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Like, both of those things are mutually exclusive for me. Were mutually exclusive for me, but now I feel them and I can talk about it. And that was a big step.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, no, I love that. I mean, both of you talk so beautifully about your daughter. And I was wondering, are you the strict one? Are you the chill one? Are you the fun one? Like, as a parent, like, what is, what is your go to. If Nick's the sincere one and the. Yeah, you know, what's, what's your.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah, I'm the mom. I have to set down the rules.

[Jay Shetty]

Like, I'm doing all the hard work here.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Like, no, we both do that. We both like the good thing about our parenting and we kind of fell into this beautifully as a rhythm together was we always talk about how we will navigate a situation and we are always on the same page when it comes to her. So there's never a decision that I will say something and he will say something else, or we're not on the same page about it and we just kind of naturally fell. But, yes, I'm usually a little bit more setting down the rules and you have to finish eating and you have to sleep at this time. We have to wake up for school. Like, yeah, yeah, yeah, one person has to do it. I make her schedule.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, yeah, one person has to do it. One person has to do it. Someone has to take the. Take the response, take the hit. Yeah. I love what you were saying, though, like, just about being open and honest in conversation and in the public eye and how hard that is, especially now in a world where we do live in a world full of clips like, where everyone's judging you off what you said in 20 seconds without the context of even the fact. And that's why I think podcasting has been so revolutionary and helpful in that space, is someone can actually listen to someone for an hour, two hours, and actually make sense of what they're saying, rather than, oh, I saw this 30 second clip of a three minute interview on a TV show, and now this is my version of who you are and. Or I think you're the character you play in your movies. I don't really know who you are. So I wonder why is it important for you to be yourself fully now on an interview or on a show? Like, why. Why are you even trying to do that? Why is that even meaningful to you? What. What would that provide for you right now?

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I don't know if I can. I'm trying it. I'm trying it out with you. You're my guinea pig.

[Jay Shetty]

I love it. Oh, great. This is the experiment. Amazing. I love it.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I don't know if I can. I don't know if you'll be able to get past that.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

But no, I think I. It's the opposite. I think I have come to a place in my life where I'm more in touch with my own feelings. Hence being able to be confident enough to talk about real things versus deflecting it into, you know, what I want you to kind of think. And so now I'm like, I'll try it with Jay. Perfect.

[Jay Shetty]

Thank you for trusting me. Comfortable seat.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Trustworthy man.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. I appreciate that. Thank you. That's very kind. No, it's. But it's real. It's such a real thing you're talking about. It's not easy to do that. And I think you're so right about when you're still trying to figure yourself out. And sometimes when you're in the change, it's like everyone wants to know everything about you, but it's like you're so in transition that you're like, I have nothing to share. I feel like that between when I'm writing books. So when I have a book, I have lots to talk about, because I've just spent two, three years studying this theme and looking at the science and the research and the wisdom and all this stuff. And then people invite me on interviews. In between, I'm like, guys, I've got nothing to say because I'm walking, working on new ideas. I'm. I'm building new ideas. And I don't want to just say what I said before. I will give you credit, though. I think you're being a little bit hard on yourself, because I remember the last time we interviewed you, the way you spoke about your parents and what you've learned from them and just how much impact they've had on you, that not only is extremely genuine, it resonates really strongly. And I know it resonated with our audience. Like, that interview we did five years ago has, like, 3 million views.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Wow.

[Jay Shetty]

And it's like, people got so much from it. So I think you are being a bit hard on yourself, and I just want to let you off the hook a little bit, because Would you say that's been a trait of yours as well as part of your.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

That.

[Jay Shetty]

That ambition, that drive? Have you had to be hard on yourself through this?

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

My therapist thinks so.

[Jay Shetty]

What does your therapist say? That's what I want to know. What is. What is the therapist?

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah, that's apparently a character trait of mine, that I'm very hard on myself. I didn't know that. I've recently, like, I'm really turning the lens on myself a little bit in the last few years where I'm kind of trying to get to know this new me. There are things that I do and say where I'm like, wow, this would not have been my reaction, like, six years ago. Patience. Like, I was not patient. I mean, I really. I'm still, like. I move very fast. I make quick decisions. I try to be like, I'm always five seconds ahead when it comes to work. But I, I think having a toddler will teach you patience, that it's never in your control.

[Jay Shetty]

I think that that's fine. Sometimes I think about it, I'm like, I know that the biggest personal growth I'll ever have is having a kid.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Absolutely.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Yeah. You, you think? Yeah, I'm always like, yeah, you think you've done all the self work and then you'll have a child, Jay, and you'll know exactly how far you are

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

you in the directions your personality will change, you cannot predict. Depends on who your kid is and who they turn into. And it just, you become metamorphosized into this other person. And in every aspect, priorities suddenly change. And everyone had told me that before, but when you're living it, it's really wild.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

So I'm still trying to get to know this new me who's completely different from even the one you probably spoke about five years ago. Like this was, that was before I became a parent. And so it'll be fun to get to know her.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. What have you discovered so far that's been the most surprising to you or something that you're like, oh, I didn't know that was there. Like, what was something that you came across recently that stood out to you about yourself that you've been finding, discovering, searching.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I'm much more patient with things when they don't work out. I would, like I said, or you said, observed was very hard on myself when something wouldn't work out or I would just be mad. And my approach to figuring out why it didn't go the way I needed it to go, the control that I needed to have, I feel like it's okay to not have that. And that's a huge change in me because it's affected every aspect of my life. How I interact with human beings, how I approach work that I take on, definitely how I parent, even how I am at home, it's made me self sufficient, it's made me rely on myself a little bit more. It's like created a sense of confidence which again, this is something that I have preached. I know, my mind knows, but I was never able to implement to myself which was, you know, when you're holding onto something really, really tight, you know you're exhausting your muscles. So well said, so tiring. And that's people who like to control things and you know, like alpha personalities or like it has to go my way. And maybe that was how I achieved what I did and my ambition showed itself in, you know, being a control Freak. Almost like holding on really tight. But that's something I've really consciously and subconsciously worked on as soon as I recognized the ease of letting the universe kind of push you in the direction you're meant to go and then within that. Of course, work hard every day to, you know, achieve your goals through the day. But it's okay if once in a while it doesn't turn out to be the way you thought it should be because you might end up with what you need instead of what you wanted, which is even more important.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, there's a beautiful Zen teaching that says letting go is hard, but holding on is harder.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Definitely.

[Jay Shetty]

And it's exactly what you just described. Like when you're trying to hold on to this rope and it's tight in the grip, it's so much more. Exactly. It's exhausting, it's painful. You'll end up with, you know, scars from it. But you, you just pointed out, do you think that it's almost like it's such a catch 22 because it's like, do you think you'd be this successful if you hadn't had that?

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

No.

[Jay Shetty]

Right. So then I don't think so.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And I like, I look at my 20 year old self and I applaud her for surviving and doing whatever I needed to. Flying all over the world, wanting to achieve everything, having the personality trait of, of you know, being someone who just wanted everything and not be apologetic for it. Like my younger self was not apologetic for, you know, wanting a piece of everything, wanting a legacy, wanting to leave behind something. And I really had to separate myself and like, look at her and you know, in fact, when I was writing my memoir, it was a really critical experience for me which helped me kind of navigate a lot of the these things. Like because I was talking to my friends and family and you know, trying to corroborate my own memories because, you know, memory is a funny thing.

[Jay Shetty]

Absolutely.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

What I might remember, maybe just my perspective and perception is definitely not reality. And I used to believe a hundred percent that perception is reality. What you become is what people believe. And like as time has gone by, I was just like, man, that girl really had to believe what she had to believe to get to the other side. And that's okay. And you know, I see a bravado which I admire today. I maybe don't have it anymore. You know, I'm a little bit more sensible, a little bit more level headed maybe.

[Jay Shetty]

Still as funny though. Still as funny.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Still as funny. Yeah, the comedy is important.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, exactly.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Gets you through stuff, but, you know, like, it's okay. I think I needed to be. And as we grow older, I think for all of us, us at whatever age in life you're in, but to be able to forgive yourself for how you were when you were young or, you know, we all hold on to so many burdens of our past and are so hard on ourselves because of those things. And just. I think focusing on the future and the present is just a way of kind of letting go of that control.

[Jay Shetty]

This episode is brought to you by ebay. Music has always been one of my teachers. There was a vinyl record I used to play during a quiet, very formative season of my life. Late nights, no distractions, just me, the music, and my thoughts. I'd sit still, let the needle drop, and really listen, not just to the sound, but to what was coming up inside me. That record wasn't background noise. It was intentional. It created space. It helped me slow down in a world that constantly asked me to move faster. Over time, life changed. Schedules filled up. The stillness became harder to protect. And somewhere along the way, that record disappeared. I didn't notice right away, but I felt the absence of what it represented. Recently, I realized I wasn't missing the music. I was missing the ritual, the act of pausing, of being present, of listening deeply to myself. So I searched for that same vinyl, same version, the same cover. And I found it on ebay. When it arrived, I didn't play it immediately. I just thought back to that moment. And after that, I couldn't wait to listen. And when I finally did, the music was the same. But I wasn't. I heard it it differently. I understood it differently. And that's when it really hit me. The things we keep don't lock us into the past. They meet us where we are now. Objects can evolve us. They can remind us of practices we want to return to or values we don't want to lose. Of versions of ourselves that still matter. That's what I love about ebay. It's not just about buying things. It's about rediscovering meaning. About one person passing something on and another person finding exactly what they didn't realize they were looking for. Ebay is also a place where you can let go of items that are no longer serving you or that you no longer need. You can give items a new life, a new story with someone else. Visit eBay.com to shop your favorite finds. Find what you love, sell what you don't. EBAY things people love

[Podcast Advertiser 1]

there's drama and then there's full telenovela level drama.

[Podcast Advertiser 2]

Yes, and Elf Cosmetics went all the way there. Elf Cosmetics just dropped something wildly unexpected. A full blown, absurdly funny telenovela celebrating positivity, inclusivity and accessibility. It's called Melissa and it's absurd in the best way. It stars Melissa McCarthy, TV doctor Nicholas Gonzalez and iconic telenovela villain Itati Cantoral. But the real star Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil.

[Podcast Advertiser 1]

When the language fails her and her lips are dull and dry, only glow can revive her. Melissa McCarthy, who I love, fully commenced by even rolling the ARRS with E L F Glow Reviver Lip Oil.

[Podcast Advertiser 2]

Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil Reviver Lip Oil is an ultra glossy lip oil that nourishes, hydrates and enhances your lips natural color. Available in 10 shades at only $9 each.

[Podcast Advertiser 1]

Watch the full episode of their new elf novella on soyumbano.com yes and drench

[Podcast Advertiser 2]

your lips in an addictive sheer watch of ultra glossy color with E L F Glow Reviver Lip Oil.

[Podcast Advertiser 3]

Discover a spectacular island destination with with crystal blue seas, endless sunshine and the cool Bahamian breeze, Baja Mar, located in Nassau, Bahamas, offers your choice of three luxury hotels, over 45 fine dining and nightlife venues, Jon Batiste's all new jazz club, the Caribbean's most luxurious casino, and one of a kind experiences for the entire family like our 15 acre tropical water park, wildlife sanctuary, world class golf course and so much more. Visit bajamar.com today you see it instantly.

[Podcast Advertiser 4]

It's Coldwater Creek, the mark of exceptional workmanship and signature touches inspired by a Mountain west heritage. Distinctive styles created from quality fabrics, silhouettes perfected with just the right drape, feel good fits offering ease of movement and thoughtful details to elevate your look. Coldwater Creek's authenticity is embodied in every piece, embracing its confidence spirit that carries through to today. Discover Coldwater Creek clothing designed to fit your life the way you want for a wardrobe you can count on season after season. Visit coldwatercreek.com Shop the new spring collection at 20% off $75 or more with code iHeart20.

[Jay Shetty]

I feel like so many of us as humans, when we discover a new way of living, we almost disregard shun exactly the past way of being. And so we're like, oh, now I've figured out life, now I'm at peace. And it's almost like, wait a minute, you're forgetting the part that that kid at 20 years old as yourself you're talking about needed to have that bravado, that holding on tight, that ambition that to get here. And I love what you're saying because I think that's really the work that we're all trying to do, is accept that all these versions of us were just trying the best with what they know.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

And now that we know better, we can do differently and do better, but that it's not a judgment or a shunning of that version of ourselves.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And as we grow in life, we're gonna keep changing. Like evolution.

[Jay Shetty]

Hopefully. Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah. Hopefully. Yeah. And even if we don't, that's fine. That's your individual journey, you know, And. But like Nick's new song, it was so profound to me. Gut punch. Because that's what it really talks about is, when did I get so good at being mean to myself? Right. And we all do. And if we. You catch yourself on the couple of things which actually helped me. One, is this a constructive thought? It's when I'm going down the rabbit hole of anything. Stress, fear, anxiety, anything. Is it a constructive thought? Will it get me somewhere? And if it's not, it's not meant to be in your head. And the second thing which has really helped me is thoughts are not facts. So when you're spiraling about something or anxious about something or berating yourself for having done something wrong, you have to kind of come back to the facts. Like, what are the facts that I know? And then it just takes away the power. Yeah. Those are tools that have really, I think, helped me in this new phase. I love Zen phase.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. I love those tools. Yeah. Especially that second one. Because I feel like the mind is not a truth seeker. It's a storyteller. And so it will make up a story and it will create it, and we believe it. Yeah. And we'll plaster it. It's the biggest fake news in the world, is the mind doing its thing. And, like, you just start to believe whatever news story is, and especially if

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

we don't talk about it, which most of us are trained to not do. Right. Like, we've gotta be tough. We've gotta. Like, at least when I was growing up, there was no importance to therapy or constructive conversation, even within family. It was like, you're stronger than that. You don't have to feel that way. Like, almost dismissive of actual feelings and not just by parents. That was just the culture in society, how it was. And I feel like that's a wonderful thing that we've come to a place where we can actually talk about our feelings. But, you know, the more you keep it in, the more you're not allowed to talk about how you're feeling, which is totally different than how you should be behaving or what you should be doing in a situation. Completely different thing. How you're feeling is so crucial to acknowledge. And then it's easier to kind of move on. But the initial validation you need is, I am upset about something and it's okay. Whatever that might stem from. I might be feeling jealous, I might feel like angry that this didn't happen for me or whatever it was. But it's okay to acknowledge that feeling. And I find it really beneficial to talk to like my best friend or my husband or someone. This is also a Nick Jonas learning, actually.

[Jay Shetty]

Go on.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Oh, man. I just realized early into our, our marriage we had, you know, argument that everyone does when you're just getting to know each other and newly married. And we had an argument and being the person that I am, you know, I'm the storm in Nick's teacup. That's how we are. Or at least we were. I don't know, we're evolving. But I was like, well, we need to approach it this way and you know, this is how it'll get better. And solutions. And solutions. And he was like, well, we need to talk about how we're feeling. And those were completely two different things. And I didn't know how to do that or like the fact that I needed to do that. And he was like, let's talk about how I'm feeling, how you're feeling, and then we'll be able to move on to a solution. Which was so mind blowing to me at that time and profound, honestly. And it just changed the way, the direction of the conversation, it just, it's so healthy to be able to acknowledge, you know, yeah, this made me feel this way. And the same honest truth. So then you're like, oh my gosh, if something I said made someone feel a certain way, how do I feel about doing that to a loved one? You know, like if certain behavior from me or a certain behavior from you just makes me feel not nice, will you keep doing it again knowing that? So it was such a big, like learning for both of us. And you know, we've never gone back to the storm in the teacup.

[Jay Shetty]

Radhi and I will still. I mean, Radhi and I have been together for 13 years now. It's our 10 year wedding anniversary this year.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Oh, congrats you guys.

[Jay Shetty]

Decade super exciting. And at the same time, my point is, of course we still have stupid arguments all the time. We've just built tools and techniques over the years that have worked for us and everything that's, you know, that everyone's dealing with. What gave you. Because I find this to be one of the biggest things, at least for me and Radhi, that I think has been beneficial. What gave you the humility to be able to learn that from Nick? Right. Because I think in a lot of relationships, it's kind of like, well, you want to do it that way, but this is the way I do it. So, like, you're saying, hey, I want to do a solution.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I was like that.

[Jay Shetty]

Right.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It happened for a few. Yeah, a few times. And we argued where I was like, this is who I am, and, like, this is what I know.

[Jay Shetty]

And it's worked for me, and it

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

has worked for me.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

But I think I heard him maybe for the first time, and I don't know what. Maybe I wasn't hearing him. I was focused so much on what I was feeling that I couldn't listen to what he was feeling. And over time, maybe, you know, my husband is, and I've said this so many times, the most sincere, honest person, and that just disarms you. So when he looks at you with those eyes and says, let's talk about how we're feeling. We're gonna talk about how we're feeling.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. He has that deep presence.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

He just, like, the room calms down, and he just takes you in that. The direction that he wants to. And that's the first thing, actually, that drew me to Nick when we first met, is he has this quiet confidence, which makes him, like, a natural leader. You know, you kind of want to listen to him and hear him out and know that, you know, he has thought about things and he's not impulsive and he's decisive, but it's just this quiet confidence. It doesn't need, you know, to be put on display. And that was just beautiful. Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

I mean, that takes a lot from you to notice that as well, because sometimes I think quiet confidence is missed.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yes.

[Jay Shetty]

Because it's quiet as in it. It doesn't have that flashy. It doesn't feel like. It doesn't look like leadership in the old way. It's been propagated across the world, and then it's easy to miss. So it's. It's also credit to you to be able to, you know, at the time, to be able to notice that and see the value of it. I. I felt the value of it when I've been around him and had conversations with Him.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And it's always been something that has. It's been something I have seeked. It's been something that I have always been drawn to. And again, you know, it's different phases, different. You have to be different kinds of confidence. There are times where you need to be a peacock and. Or a porcupine. You know, it's fine.

[Jay Shetty]

That's good. I like. I like that.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah, you can be either. But you gotta, you know, show it off a little bit, and then there are times you don't.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It's really up to us to figure out when you know how much you need to turn it up and how much you need to turn it down. But the fact that you can turn it down, that is something like a lot of people don't know and use. You know, confidence doesn't always have to be loud. It doesn't always have to scream. It just arrives. And that's the best type.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, yeah. No, I mean. I mean, obviously he.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

You have that. You also have that, like, quiet confidence.

[Jay Shetty]

Thank you. That's very sweet. That's very kind of you. Yeah, I. I found it really fascinating because when I first came here, and I know I don't like this term, but people would always be like, oh, you do motivational speaking, which I don't consider myself to do, because I would think about all the motivational speakers that have come before, and they're, like, loud. They're big. They're like. And I'm like. I'm just a. That little Indian guy, you know? Like, I'm like, that's not my. That's not my presence. And I don't. I don't think that that's the only way to be powerful. It's a way. And I.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And I love people. It's powerful.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Yeah. And. And. And I love what you're saying, that it can be done quietly and. But it's. I find it fascinating that you are seeking that, because I think right now, when we think about dating in the modern world, when we think about whether it's marriage, any sort of committed, monogamous relationship, I think what women and men are looking for, sometimes we're all so confused because there's so many versions of what. Confidence, strength, attractiveness, and what could be right for you. Correct. And what's right for you. But you knew that was right for you because there was something that was guiding you to. That Was that intuition? Was it.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It happened so quick.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Like, it was so quick. And I wondered for the first, like, year I was like, what was it? Because I'm not one to jump in. Full commitment.

[Jay Shetty]

It was like six months.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Six months since we first met. We not first met, like, went out on our first date. We were married. Like, we were engaged in, like two months or something.

[Jay Shetty]

It's amazing.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It was so quick. But there was no part of me that could say no. I was so drawn and compelled by him. And I think that was the. One of those things was his natural leadership. And that comes from his quiet confidence. Like, he would just hold my hand and I felt the need to follow him. I'm usually the person showing people away. So it was just very attractive to me to be with someone that. That is so decisive and is not afraid to show it and doesn't need to scream off the rooftops. Like, what Nick says, he can say to you on this microphone, he could say at home. He's just like, that's who he is. And that was very new to me and disarming and charming at the same time.

[Jay Shetty]

I love the way you both speak about each other. Like, this is so special. I'm like, I'm literally going to get the two clips of you both talking about each other and put them next to each other. Because. No, it's wonderful. It's so wonderful because it's real. It's not easy. Like I said, it requires a lot of humility. Even as what you just said. I'm used to being the leader. I'm used to showing the way. But actually, I'm really happy to let someone else lead sometimes.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yes, that's what every girl wants, is to be with a man competent enough that you will trust them to guide you in the right place. Because usually women are really good at figuring out and navigating through problems. But, like, Nick has this innate wisdom that I trust and that I've always trusted his honesty. I have, like, trusted. And I think that was one of the first things that I was like, yes, you will be great for life. That's. That's it.

[Jay Shetty]

That's amazing. That's so good. And I loved. I saw your congrats on the Variety covers.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Thank you.

[Jay Shetty]

And I read. I read the piece before as I was preparing for this, and I just loved how you said in the article, you were like, I just. Because when I hear you both, when I've spent time with you both, I've been to your house, you know, spend time with you over the years at different events, you see that love. You see the way you communicate. You see it even when I'm Speaking to you both here, there's so much genuineness. And then naturally, you talked about the variety cover with the, you know, the negativity that naturally comes with having a relationship in the public eye. And I love that you said you're like, I just don't think about it anymore because we've been together for eight years. It's like, you know, this stuff doesn't matter almost anymore. How hard was it to get to that point, to be able to be like, you know what? Now I'm. You know, we've always been good. We're fine. Like, but how did. How long did it take for you to feel. I'm not even letting that get to me anymore.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I mean, it's hard. I still, like, will read a comment here or there, and I'm like, why?

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Like, what did I do to you? Yeah, why. Why is it? Why be so mean? Like, I don't even know you. I've never met you. You've seen, like, some aspects of my life and decided I might be this horrible person or we're not right to get, like, why? So it still sometimes, in weak moments, will get me, like, so many other things, like, mean things do. But in general, I think I'm just. Just in a place where I want to focus on the good in my life, and I feel really blessed to have the good that I do. It's not been an easy journey, and to be in a place where, you know, you come out of a storm and the sun is shining and you just kind of, like, take that moment, and I feel like I'm in that moment right now.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Me and Radhi don't obviously have nearly the amount of eyeballs that you guys have on us, but we went through this really interesting period where. Where we'd been together every day during the pandemic. And as soon as the pandemic was over, Riley was so excited to go back home and see her family, as so many people were.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yes, sure.

[Jay Shetty]

And so Riley was spending a lot of time in London after the pandemic because she just missed her family. She missed her parents, and I did, too. But I have work here. I have my team here. I've set up a life here, and I go back and forth, but not as often as she likes to. And it was really fascinating because I get a call from my publicist one day. She goes, jay, I just got a call from this major publication, and they've just been reading on the Dark Web. I was like, what is the Dark Web? They're Like, I've been reading on the dark web that people are thinking that you and Radhi are about to, you know, break up and, like, you're not together anymore and that the pictures that you're posting are old and all this stuff. And I was like, we're in a really good place. Like, we're totally happy. Actually, the pandemic was amazing for us because we spent every day together and fell more in love with each other, which was such a blessing to have that. And then we've always had this communication, me and Radhi, where London is such an important part of our identity, our family, our niece and nephew. And so we've always tried to live this la London life as much as we can.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Not easy.

[Jay Shetty]

It's not easy at all.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

A tough flight.

[Jay Shetty]

So Radhi will go back a lot more often. I'll run in and out whenever I can. And it was just fascinating to me that that was even being talked about. And she was like, yeah, there's loads of people just wondering whether you guys are still together, still in love, whatever. And it was just such a. And I remember having the conversation with Radhi and laughing at it. Obviously, we know what we're doing. But I was like, wow. Like, where do. Where do people even invent this stuff? And then how does it go from. We're living in different countries during a certain period of time with. With context, but you take that to be, we don't love each other anymore, don't want to be together. And I was like, wow. Like. And like I said, it's nowhere near compared to the eyeballs that you and Nick have on you. So it's just such a fascinating. And I struggled with that. And Radi struggled with it, where she got to the point where she was like, you know what? I don't want to talk about our relationship publicly anymore. Like, that's where she got to. She was like, I just don't want to talk about it because I don't like all these opinions. And I don't. You know, it really affected her.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I have a couple of thoughts on how I kind of navigated it.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

One is we are living in a time and a period where we get to see and read the opinions that people have of us. Right. Like, before social media, back in the day, you think the aunties weren't talking in the kitchen? Everyone was talking.

[Jay Shetty]

They were definitely. That's brilliant.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Everyone was talking about everything. We just didn't hear about it. It.

[Jay Shetty]

Absolutely.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

So nothing's really changed. It's just how Much information we are absorbing. So take that power away. That this is all the same people that would have talked about you guys even 40 years ago if you were in the position that you're in. That's kind of the gig. When you become a public person, people will have an opinion on you. So protect your sanity by understanding that this is. This comes with the job, it comes with the territory. Right. So that's one. Of course it can still affect you and, you know, hurt, because it comes across your timeline and you're like, why? Like, what's the need of it? The second thing that I really strongly believe, it's no one's business, honestly. And that's okay. Like, you share as much as you need to and what feels right. And even within our families. Right. Like if you're going for. Especially Indian families, everyone's in your business. Everyone wants to know all the things. But even there, I believe that if it's not your business, I don't need to tell you. And so protecting ourselves from the cacophony of opinions is really important. And that's just by, like, you gotta do the self talk and be like. Like, do I want to react to this? Is this a constructive thought? Like just. You gotta kind of. Yeah. You gotta nip it in the bud and be like, that's not something I need to waste my time on.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. I think me and Radi made a pact early where even with the family piece, it was like, we solve our problems together.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah, exactly.

[Jay Shetty]

And if we need to communicate with either of our parents. You communicate with your parents, I communicate with mine. Because that's the open line of communication

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

that has been there for us. It'll be honest and.

[Jay Shetty]

Exactly.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It'll be, you know, it'll be real.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Whatever your version of that is, I think, like just the public scrutiny and it's for everyone now. Like, there are comments on everyone's socials. Right. Like, not just people who are in the public eye, like content creators, anyone who's out there.

[Jay Shetty]

Yes.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

You have comments. So it's not just a problem of public people anymore. That's just the nature of the world we're living in.

[Jay Shetty]

Correct.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

So for everyone who gets mean comments on your comments or on your Instagram or TikTok or whatever, like really recognizing. And maybe young people don't even remember this, but, like, people always talked.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

There's a Hindi song. Which means people have to say something. So they're constantly going to say something.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And that's just human beings. So, like Big. Just a pinch of salt sometimes is important.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

While reading that stuff.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Well said. Good advice. I was thinking I want to shift gears, because I know we can talk about Nick the whole podcast. So we'll get back. We'll get back. No, no, no, we'll get back. He did. He did the same. So it's fine. We'll get. We'll get back to Nick. And I want to talk about family as well, but I want to shift gears to something you said earlier. You said to me that actually, this is the first time where you're actually using agency to be in the choice of what speed you're moving at. And before, there was almost this. This pivot that felt pushed on you or just felt like the way you had to go. And I was reading online about a. There was a director in Bollywood who was saying that Priyanka was treated badly. She was like. She was treated badly in Bollywood. We pushed her out. Was. Was his language. And. And I was like, I don't know how that feels when. When you're at the top, when you've won, like, you're one of the most iconic people we've ever had in the industry. In Bollywood, without a doubt, like, celebrated, done every major movie, worked with, you know, every major director, every major person in the industry. To me, it looked like a win, but that's what I mean. People are almost coming out and confessing and feeling like, no, we treated her badly. We pushed her out. How do you feel about that when you hear that?

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I have, like, conflicting thoughts with all of that because I feel like surviving in the movie industry is tough for everyone. It's not an easy place. It's political, it's networky. It's, you know, moment driven. If it's the moment you're the man of the moment or the woman of the moment, and then the moment's gone. It's somebody else's moment. So it's fleeting. So I am pragmatic enough to recognize that. I feel like everybody has their struggles because of their choices. I did feel like I was in a place where I felt cornered, where work was limited, and in order to survive, emotionally, mentally, physically, I just needed to move. And that's always been my answer. I'm not someone who stays stagnant. I need movement to solve my problems. And this time, it just happened to be across continents.

[Jay Shetty]

You know, the hardest thing to do.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Completely move. Like a completely different country.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, completely.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah. But I was talking to you about the universe, right? So I was in this place where I was doing good work, but I kind of didn't see myself. Like I told you, I look five seconds ahead of me. I'm like, always thinking ahead is my nature. So I just didn't see longevity the way I wanted it in. In my situation at that time. And I'm honest about who I am. So, you know, I was never afraid of living my truth, but that's what. What it ended up being. I felt cornered. And Anjula, who's our common friend, who's for people who don't know now my manager. But at that time, she ran Desi Hits, which was a joint venture with Interscope Records, which shone the light on Indian artists and South Asian artists and brought them over to America. And she saw an old movie of mine at her mom's house. It was called Bluff Master. And she was like, working with Jimmy Iovine at that time. They had just done the Pussycat Dolls version of Jha. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So there was like that, you know, just cross pollination, I like to use that word of cultures within music that was happening. And she reached out to me, you know, I heard you can sing. I mean, that I can carry a tune with a little bit of help. But I used to enjoy it. I used to go into the studio, sing with my friends. You know how in Bollywood movies we have music as a. You know, we have a soundtrack to every movie and that's usually recorded with, you know, with music producers. And so I used to go in for those sessions just because I loved seeing how music was made. And so sometimes I would take the mic and just sing or whatever. So I had a few songs out there floating around and I don't know, she got her hands on them and she was like, you know, let's make you a pop star. And because I was feeling. It was like a. The universe kind of just timed itself together. I was feeling very limited in my work in Hindi movies. I was feeling kind of like I don't have a direction to go on. And this was like an olive branch. And I don't get starstruck, but musicians, like, get me being able to be on that stage and command with a live microphone so many people is incredible to me. So I was just blown away by, you know, being flown to London and then from there being signed to Universal, from there coming to LA and, you know, being in the studio with Will I Am and Pitbull and just Chainsmokers and work with Redone and, you know, I met the most incredible people during this two Year pop star era of mine. Such a welcome change. It was a breath of fresh air. And this is behind the lens, like, what I was feeling. I was feeling like I was drowning and I was suddenly pulled out and I could breathe. And I didn't know if this would stick or not, but I was just breathing, and I was breathing in excellent company. I was making music that I didn't know how to make. But, you know, there was faith in something in me. And I have to give credit to both Anjula and Jimmy Iovine for seeing something that I didn't see. I was honestly just breathing at that point and really happy to be given an opportunity to work with some of these incredible artists that I had admired for so long. I mean, I spent my 30th birthday with Bono. How many people can say that? Like, it was just so cool to be in that rarefied air of just artists who make music with a guitar and, you know, songs that come into their mind. And I was just inspired and feeling a sense of being alive creatively and emotionally. I lost my dad within that phase as well, which was a really big hit for me. So it was a tough, like, period of five, six years. A lot of change, a lot of full stops, you know, a lot of leaving feelings and things behind and trying to come out on the other side of it. And I was alone because I'd moved countries. That was extra layer of tough. I didn't really have a lot of friends. I have a lot of family in America, but everyone's really busy with their lives. So between. I was bi coastal, between LA and New York, and, you know, hotel rooms get lonely. And so I moved into an apartment. And, you know, I. After the music phase was over, I kind of was like, after four songs out there, I was like, I don't know if this is, you know, I'm as good at this as I would like to. And then Jimmy suggested that I find representation in acting, and I did. And that's how it started. You know, I got Quantico, which was after a bunch of auditions, which was also one of my first auditions in, like, years.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Terrifying in itself, the whole process, because when I was working in Bollywood, I'd reached a point where, you know, people knew my work. So I didn't, you know, I'd get direct offers. I just, you know, the whole. It's so crazy that as actors, we do this and, you know, rejection is such a large part of. Part of it, too. But that first time when I walked into that audition hall, and there were all of these girls on a chair and I realized they were all here for the same part. That's a crazy feeling.

[Jay Shetty]

And does everyone, like, look similar? Is that the goal? Or like. Or was that different because you're doing it?

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It was different for that show because there were. It was written for an American girl, that show, which I clearly wasn't. But I'm an actor and I was like, yeah, I can study an accent and I can. I went to school here. I'm not unfamiliar with the states, of course, so I, you know, worked on. On being American because she was an FBI agent and, you know, so I worked a lot on that. I worked with acting coaches. I really wanted to see if I was built for America because it takes different gears almost. For anyone who's familiar with Bollywood and Hollywood, it's just the industries. It's different. So the first few times for me, I spent about six months in la. I was also finishing a movie back in India at that time called Bajira Mastani. So I was flying back and forth a lot and I just was like, do I have what it takes first and foremost to do that? And. Which meant kind of erasing my accomplishments up until now. When I walked into a room and I was. It took me a little bit of talking to myself to do that. I was like, okay, what are my choices? My choices are to do limited parts and see what that'll turn out to be like. To do music, which I kind of thought I was mediocre in, or to try and work in a completely new industry, which, you know, you have to start all the way, all the way

[Jay Shetty]

at the bottom again.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

At the bottom again. And that's all right. Because the edge that I had is I was not new. So I knew my job. I knew what it's like to be on a big budget movie. I knew what it's like to be the lead of a part, to hold

[Jay Shetty]

the attention on screen or even stand

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

on your mark, say the lines, know where the lights are. I know the profession, I know my craft. So that's the edge that I have.

[Jay Shetty]

Of course, yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Over, you know, like someone newer who was coming into that space. And I think that's what really helped me is I focused on my craft, I focused on the job. I took away the noise of, you know, well, you've done like 50 movies in India or you've been on the COVID of this magazine. Why should you like that thing that we do to ourselves, which is, you know, you can get in your own Way I choose to. I chose to get out of my way.

[Jay Shetty]

Wow.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And I don't know which part of my survival helped me do that. I really don't know. It was a really dark period in my life, you know, moving here, being alone, losing my dad, losing, like, friendships and, you know, my family. My mom was not here. Nobody belonging. Belonging in a rented apartment. Not sure if I should live in New York or live in Mumbai. Living out of suitcases for a couple, like, for many years, it was just tough. And I don't know, I just. I was like, I need to get out of my way. I need something to give. I need something to work. And it was many, many years of trying to figure out what'll stick where I just, like, put my head down and I was like, just do the work. I worked on my scenes, I went in for the audition, I got the job. I continued working on because that didn't mean that the show gets picked up if you just. Just did the pilot. I continued working on, like, other things, you know, looking at movies, working with acting coaches, just learning scenes, learning how to speak in the English language. Not speak, but delivering dialogues in the English language. My brain was tuned to improvising in Hindi. I can do that because I'd done so much work in the Hindi language. So it was a pivot of my brain as well to be able to read sides in English and deliver those lines. So I worked with a lot of acting coaches, some amazingly talented people both in New York and la, to kind of be able to get more comfortable with that. And, yeah, I just decided to focus on the work and slowly picked up and, you know, it took a lot of, like, smaller parts figuring out. Out, you know, where I land to now, you know, producing the movies that I work in. So it was a long journey. Emotionally traumatic in many ways, personally for me, but I'm happy to be on the other side of it.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, when you describe that period of your life as drowning.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

And transitioning away from the industry and then finding air, even in the newness of music and. And how that comes in, I mean, that. And then adding on all the context you just gave us of how hard that time was, whether it was personally with your father, whether it's professionally with new work, new industry, just not knowing anyone. Just not knowing anyone. The loneliness that comes with it. I mean, it sounds like you. You put. You said in your own words, it's a really dark time.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It's. It was tough.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It felt really dark. But I think the fact that I could pull myself out of it with the help of, you know, some amazing people that came into my life, like Ange, like Jimmy, like Dana, my team in India, Natasha, like, these are people that, like, really held me together at that time when I didn't have friends and family around me. And, you know, we've all worked together now for 15 to 20 years. But, you know, I was very lucky to have had picked people around me that didn't let me feel the weight and the gravity of what it felt like to me, because it may not have been the reality.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

But it felt like that to me. And now, you know, I acknowledge feelings. So this is.

[Jay Shetty]

We're getting there. We're getting there.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

This is me acknowledging what I felt those 12, 14 years ago when I. What are we in 20, 26? This was 2010, 15, 16 years ago. Yeah, but I felt like that.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Well, it's. I think it's fascinating that we. We don't necessarily give people the credit they deserve when they're here with us and living on the planet. And, you know, that. That is. It's a really.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I always think about that.

[Jay Shetty]

Right. It's such an interesting human trait.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I always think about that so much. And, you know, I actually started thinking about it after my dad, honestly, because it was such a personal loss for me and there were so many people that came out for. We called it his celebration ceremony, but it's actually the chautha, which happens on the fourth day after you lose someone in Hinduism. And so you give the family, like, four days to mourn. And fourth day, you know, everyone else can start coming in to give their wishes. And there were so many people that celebrated my father and spoke so highly of him, and. And I was like, why didn't you say that to him when he was here? He would have loved to hear that. And I have started actually making a practice in my life of reaching out to people. Just if I think of them or if I see good work or someone's on my mind and I haven't been in touch with them for many, many years, I'll just send a text saying, hey, I'm thinking of you. I appreciate you. And it usually, like, takes people. They're like, when you texted me after 10 years, I feel like it heals me every time I think of, you know, seeing someone's achievement or. Because I would have wanted that. I would want that for me, and I would want that for. I think everybody deserves to hear if that you are appreciated or that you Mean something to someone or you've done something that moved somebody.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And we should try and do that. That while people are on this planet and it just takes a text or a thought. The more you start doing it, it's a butterfly effect of just niceness.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Yeah. And I love that you spoke about your father, because this isn't about doing it for people, just in the public eye. It's just the idea of life. Like, this is not at all in the public eye. Yeah. This is not a public eye thing.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I'm talking about, like, nobody needs to know this. It's between you and that person.

[Jay Shetty]

That's correct. Yeah, exactly.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It's not on Instagram.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. That's why I love what you said about your dad. Like, it's just.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It's a text.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. It's just people need to know while they're here, while they're living, while they're breathing, how you feel about them. And for people to be celebrated and honored while they're here with us. Because, yeah, you see all the time, someone passes away and all of a sudden there's a eruption of love and joy, but it's like they weren't experiencing that while they were alive. And what a loss. What a loss, not only for them, but for us to even have the opportunity to express that gratitude or notice

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

that about them or a privilege to be able to express to someone what you feel for them. As a world, as a society, we don't encourage our young or ourselves enough to be able to be honest when you feel something for someone. Just appreciating people. I didn't know that at all when I was younger. Again, I guess as you evolve in life. But in my 20s, I was like, my attitude literally was, everyone is doing their job, so, you know, I'm doing my job. I'm not appreciative. I'm not expecting appreciation. So why should anybody else expect appreciation? It was so tough.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. That's that hard. Hard on yourself.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I. I guess I. I was allowing myself to not have the expectation of appreciation because I never got it.

[Jay Shetty]

Yes.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

So I think it came. My attitude came from protecting myself. Now I understand this. At that time, like, even few years back, I was like, that I would just. I was like, I don't expect you to say, I did an amazing job or if my scene is right. I'm not expecting the director to be like, clap for me. So why do I have to do that for people? It was like such a tough, like, attitude. But I understood why, because, you know, I would not go get appreciation. I was navigating this really insane new industry and I didn't want to have to seek it. So I built this wall where I was like, nobody needs it, but you do. Everyone does. And you know, now I've understood that. It's just, I don't know where what that learning was, but I think just appreciating people is just nice. Just nice.

[Podcast Advertiser 1]

There's drama and then there's full telenovela level drama.

[Podcast Advertiser 2]

Yes, and Elf Cosmetics went all the way there. Elf Cosmetics just dropped something wildly unexpected. A full blown, absurdly funny telenovela celebrating positivity, inclusivity and accessibility. It's called Melissa and it's absurd in the best way. It stars Melissa McCarthy, TV doctor Nicholas Gonzalez and iconic telenovela villain Itati Cantoral. But the real star, Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil.

[Podcast Advertiser 1]

When the language fails her and her lips are dull and dry, only Glow can revive her. Melissa McCarthy, who I love, fully commenced by even rolling the arrs with Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil.

[Podcast Advertiser 2]

Elf Glow Reviver Reviver Lip Oil Reviver Lip Oil is an ultra glossy lip oil that nourishes, hydrates and enhances your lips natural color. Available in 10 shades at only $9 each.

[Podcast Advertiser 1]

Watch the full episode of their new E L f Nola on soyumbano.com yes

[Podcast Advertiser 2]

and drench your lips in an addictive sheer watch of ultra glossy color with Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil.

[Podcast Advertiser 3]

Discover a spectacular island destination with crystal blue seas and endless sunshine and the cool Bahamian breeze. Baja Mar, located in Nassau, Bahamas, offers your choice of three luxury hotels. The richly refined Rosewood, the playfully hip SLS and the stylishly modern Grand Hyatt. With over 45 restaurants, bars and lounges, Baja Mar serves up delicious dining from world renowned chefs like Daniel Boulud and Marcus Samuelsson. Nightlife venues like the new Gianbatiste Jazz Club and the Car Caribbean's most luxurious casino. At Baja Mar, you'll find every pleasure under the sun and one of a kind experiences for the entire family. Like Baja Bay, our 15 acre lush tropical water park. Interactive wildlife experiences including our daily flamingo parade, world class golf, tennis spa and so much more. Visit bajamar.com today and discover a vacation destination where memories are made for a lifetime time. Baja Mar Life spectacular.

[Podcast Advertiser 4]

You see it instantly. It's Coldwater Creek, the mark of exceptional workmanship and signature touches inspired by a Mountain west heritage. Distinctive styles created from quality fabrics. Silhouettes perfected with just the right drape. Feel good fits offering ease of movement and thoughtful details to Elevate your look. Coldwater Creek's authenticity is embodied in every piece, embracing its confident spirit that carries through to today. Discover Coldwater Creek clothing designed to fit your life the way you want. For a wardrobe you can count on season after season. Visit coldwatercreek.com Shop the new spring collection at 20% off $75 or more with code iheart20.

[Jay Shetty]

I think we all go through that phase where you're really blocking something because you're right. We don't want to want validation. No one wants to want it. But you kind of like it.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

And then. And then you're fighting against that feeling of, why do I want it, I shouldn't want it, and therefore, no one else should want it.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

But really, deep down, we all need it. Because I was saying to someone today, like, we were talking about the need for usefulness. Like, everyone wants to feel useful.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

We think people want to feel important or significant or celebrated. And it's like most of us, like, good humans are not narcissists or living in it. We just want to feel useful. And it's when you don't feel useful to someone that you feel valueless and helpless.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And, like, did I add something?

[Jay Shetty]

Exactly. All we want to do is bring

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

something to the table.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And without having to ask for it.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

You know, you don't want to have to ask, like, do I bring value? And especially when you're starting out in any job, you're like, if you're told even once that you bring value, it makes you want to do better work. And I think that why I did that to myself was because I didn't know if I would get it. And I didn't want to put myself in a position where I had the expectations. And then I was let down, of course. So I just normalized. The fact that nobody needs to. Means appreciation. Yeah, I don't need it. You don't need it.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah. We repeat what we reward.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

So if we reward the feeling of, oh, I don't want it, I don't need it, we're going to repeat then if we. If we reward someone for putting an effort and doing good work, that person will repeat it because that's what inspires all of us. I really appreciate you going there on. On that theme of just how hard that transition was, because I think from the outside, you make it look easy.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

But like I said, no one's business.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. No one's business.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Like, it's hard for me to talk about personal struggles because there's just so much hardship in the world. Like, I feel really like even what was hard for me, it's not as hard as what everybody. Like, there's so many people going through so much worse. So there is a part of myself that still is hard on myself for.

[Jay Shetty]

Because it's not hard enough. Yeah, your life is not hard enough.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

You're like, don't. You shouldn't be feeling that way. Don't be silly. Like. But you know, like, everyone has struggles in their lives and it. It's tough to talk about it because you're like, what was so hard about that? Just personally, it was.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, yeah. Not in context or comparison to anyone else.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It's.

[Jay Shetty]

It's acknowledging how you feel. I mean, that seemed like a big transition for you. And. And when Nick was on the show, he spoke so vulnerably and openly about the birth of your daughter, which was traumatic to say the least, and of course, amazing. But in that moment, just how heavy it was and difficult it was just for both of you and going through that process, I wanted to ask you if you were comfortable sharing from your heart and your words what that experience was like for you.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

The whole thing was tough because our journey to Malti itself was really rough. I don't want to get into details because I'm not. I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it, but it was very hard on me. And she's a miracle baby because she was my only hope at that time to be able to have a baby. So when we were told that she's coming, like at 27 weeks, I just shut down. I remember I sat in front of a fireplace in our house for I think like nine hours or something. And for someone who's always so solution oriented, I didn't have a thought in my brain. And Nick was somewhere and he came back and we just. He grabbed me. We loaded the car and our dogs and we drove. It was Covid time. And just the situation under which she was born was so much duress for everyone involved. And it was just really intense. She was purple and like, we didn't know. The NICU nurses couldn't. Like their little finger was too big for her mouth. How they intubated her was like, I still see that image. And thankfully everything was fine with our surrogate so we could focus our energy and just. I was just numb. I just remember I didn't know what to do or how to be useful in that moment. We went with her to the NICU one of us was allowed at a time. And she cried the first time and it was like a cat. Like just a. Just like that's all we got. My mom flew down, my in laws flew down. But we were in the hospital and it was such a personally traumatic time. But somehow, because we were in and out of the hospital, I remember it leaked. And we got a text saying that it's gonna. Her birth is gonna be put out by the papers. And I don't wanna give credence to who sent us that message or which network it was, but that if we don't like, they're gonna put it out in three hours. So we were kind of forced into announcing her birth, which. Cause we wanted to hold onto our own narrative of it, but we weren't ready because we didn't know what would happen with her or how she would be. It was three months, almost 110 days. We stopped everything. We were in the hospital every day with her. We did shifts so that she could be on our skin. The nurses said from day two of life that we should be doing skin to skin. So Nick would sing to her on his guitar. I used to have this little ipod which played all my mantras, my Mahamrityunjay mantra, my Gayatri mantra, my Om Namah Shiva. Like, all of it would play all day inside her crib. Just. There were a lot of people praying for her. She was very, very desired, very coveted and treasured because she was so hard. It was so hard. Her journey to get to this planet. And she had like six blood transfusions. You know, I used to feel like she looked just like Nick and I as a combination. But everyone says that she looked like him. But even in those days, like, as soon as we would be switching out, like, she would recognize our voices and smile. Like, just her eyes weren't open, but she would have a little, like, slight smile. And if you ever meet our daughter, she has the most glorious smile on the planet. Like, full face laugh. So it was a brutal time. But I think I talk to myself when I'm in tough situations. Once I got out of the stunned nature of it, I realized how afraid she must have been. So I didn't have the privilege of being upset or afraid. I had to show up as her mom and I had to be tough through it. I had to smile for her. I had to equip myself to take care of a preemie baby and make sure she's the healthiest that she can be. And that's just what my Focus turned into. And I was like, it is not about me or him. And this happened, like immediately. As soon as she was on my chest for the first time at almost 27 and a half weeks or like two or three days after. And she was so tiny that her fingers felt like butterflies on me. She was just like this little 1 pound, 11 ounces. In that moment, I was like, I will go to the ends of the earth to protect you. It's a feeling I have never felt before. And I think every first time parent says that, but it's like your heart is beating outside of your body. And especially with her, because she was so vulnerable, I became a tigress about everything from her nutrition to, you know, her medication to her transfusions to Nick and I as a team, we didn't have to talk to each other. It was just done. We used to look at one another and, you know, we'd have the diaper bag. We'd have like, tomorrow, we have to. Tomorrow's her bath day. We'd have the bath, like all the little things make sure that, you know, she has this much of milk and is she just. Every little thing about her to make sure she gets to that weight and just survives was the only order of business. Everything else took a backseat. And the day we brought her home, she was still so tiny. And I have a big mandir in our house with a big Shiv Ji's murthy, who I really am a big shiv bhakta. I really believe that Bholibaba has guided me through every difficult moment in my life. And I've sat on his shoulders and we just, as a family, sat in front of his vision. And I think that's the first time I really wept. She was still so tiny, but I just. I wept for the grace that she survived, the gratitude that she was home, that she chose us, that we could make this happen where, you know, she could be in this world and have this thriving life. IVF is tough. And everything that contributed to her being on this earth, I was just so grateful for and just relieved. And after that, we had, you know, big havan for her when she came home and her naming ceremony, and then it just became real, you know? Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

Gosh, I think anyone who hears that just, you know, so sorry you had to go through that and sorry that the family had to go through it together as well.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And I was thinking about it, you know, because I saw on your podcast when Nick talked about it, and I knew we would talk about it also, but I Was kind of thinking about, like, why. I've started thinking a lot about the whys in my life. Like, how did I navigate them? Because when you're doing it, you just do. Right. You just take your choices. You're not really thinking about the why. But in retrospect, I like. Like to kind of unpick at that a little bit. And I was unpicking at it. And I guess my choice to have kids at a later stage contributed to this being a really tough journey for me. But if I would have done it earlier, would it have been the wrong time? It wouldn't have been her son. I kind of made my peace with the fact that this journey came from making the right choice for me. And for my biggest flex, honestly, I feel is I'm living this life with the right guy, with the right father for this incredible baby that we have have. And that was meant to be and the journey was meant to be. I feel really blessed to be on the other side of it, like I said. But it couldn't have been any other way.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

So you have to kind of forgive yourself. Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

I feel like that overthinking brain of, well, if I did it this time, if I could have done it like

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

this, she wouldn't have had to deal with it.

[Jay Shetty]

She wouldn't have had to deal with it. Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And then you would what she went

[Jay Shetty]

through, but you're like, oh, it would be a different soul.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It would completely be a different.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Person.

[Jay Shetty]

And it would have been a different circumstances. Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Different. Like I don't know what that would have been like. I can't speak to that. Whether it would be good, whether it would be bad. It just wouldn't be this.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And this is great. So, you know, I can't speak for the parallel lanes, of course.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

But that's what the multi universe.

[Jay Shetty]

That's what the mind does of our life. Yeah. That's what the mind is trying to

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

bring back to the present. And the gratitude of, you know, our little family and being able to be together.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Yeah. The mind plays all those games of the sliding doors and if this, then that and shoulda coulda would have. And it's fascinating. I love how much faith in your life is such a central pillar of a stronghold of how you come back to that. And I know that's been there since day one. Right. With your family.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And first of all, I think when you grow up in India, it's kind of ingrained in whatever religion you might grow up in. Faith is a big part of Indian spirituality. And, you know, we are a country of multiple religions. So I was very influenced by just faith in general, the multicultural nature of my family as well. My grandmother's Catholic. You know, my masi is Muslim. We were grown up, raised as Hindus, but I went to a Catholic school. It was just a lot of influences. And to me, faith is basically a relationship with something larger than yourself, and religion is your path to get there, and it's unique to everyone and every journey. But I've had a really, really strong faith in my life since I was a kid. Both my parents did, especially with Lord Shiva. And, you know, we've been shiv bhaks from when we were kids. And that's a big pillar of my faith. And it's really gotten me through really scary times and tough times. I kind of just like, close my eyes and go into a little box where I'm just talking to my God. Like, I'm just talking to Bholibaba. And I'm like, I say my prayer, and I'm saying, you'll get me through it. And it's like, I feel safe in the box. It's almost like I'm held, and somehow I come through it. And that's what it is, right? Like, faith should feel like a hug, like. Like a safe place. And my faith has always felt like that to me.

[Jay Shetty]

Thank you for sharing that. It's as hard as it is to hear and also to hear how hard it was for all of you. It's inspiring and hope giving, I think, to so many to just hear about how you all came together, how that hope and that fight and that persistence and the shifts that you both did for, you know, the months that you both switched for and probably not even seeing each other much in the changeover, because you're trying to give time. And the way you both describe her is the miracle baby. It's such a. You know, such a beautiful.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Her soul was meant to be here.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And she clawed her way into life, and I will celebrate that every day, and so will Nick. Like, we celebrate her every day. She literally said that yesterday to me. She's like, mama, my birthday just doesn't end. And I was like, it doesn't.

[Jay Shetty]

That's amazing.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

We celebrate you every day because somebody came in and got her a present. Her birthday is in January. Yeah. So she was like, it just doesn't end. And I was like, and it won't.

[Jay Shetty]

That's so cute.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Every day. I love that.

[Jay Shetty]

I love that. Well, Priyanka, we reached out To. I reached out to Nick to share a letter for you that I could share with you. So I'm going to read it to you.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Did he do this on the day you did the podcast? No, no, no, no, no.

[Jay Shetty]

Know, in between.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Oh, in between.

[Jay Shetty]

Not on the day. So I'm going to read it to you from Nick. So this is from Nick to Bianca. So he said. He says, my John, which I love. I was like just seeing him write. That is beautiful. Wow. This is the first time I'm reading it too, so I've not read it. I always save it because I'm not. I don't like reading it before it comes, so I've never read it.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Gosh, I'm embarrassed.

[Jay Shetty]

He goes, my John, I'm constantly in awe of the person you are. It's not just the big titles. Global icon, leader, force of nature. It's how you show up as a mother, a daughter, a sister, and my wife. The focus and thoughtfulness you bring to every single day is something I try to live up to. Everyone sees the public side of you, but it's who you are in the quiet moments that really floors me. You have this incredible patience and a way of listening that makes people feel completely safe. I've seen people who usually keep their guards way up just let it go all around you, finding a kind of healing they didn't know they needed. One of my favorite qualities about you is that you truly never judge. You just meet people where they're at and always find the good in people. That's a rare thing. You're a leader in every sense. In these last eight years, I've watched you take on challenges that would have broken most people. Whether it's on a set or navigating the massive life change of moving countries and blending two very different worlds, you do it with a fire that honestly lights me up. You've stayed so true to your roots while adapting with a kindness that seems to never run out. I'm so incredibly proud of you. I know your dad is looking down with that same pride seeing the woman you continue to be. As you talk with Jay today, and he better have those tissues ready. Just know that Malti, Marie and I are right there with you. You're the center of our universe. Building this life with you is the greatest honor I have. Knowing we're a team gives me a sense of peace I can't even describe. No matter what life throws at us, I know we can handle it together. I love you endlessly, Nick Jonas.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

That's crazy, man. Where are those tissues?

[Jay Shetty]

They're next to you.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

The said promised.

[Jay Shetty]

I know. I'm like, I can't believe Nick. I know, I know. I'm like, Nick, come on.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

You're like knows his wife knows what'll get me.

[Jay Shetty]

It's beautiful. I love your love. Long may it flourish and continue and thrive. And I'm so glad that Malta Marie has both of your love as well. And I hope that continues as well. You've been so kind. I hope that was a. I know he says it to you every day, probably, anyway.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

But he is one to say it.

[Jay Shetty]

He is one to say it.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

He is not one to not say it. And I think he promised me that. That very early in our engagement, actually. He said when he asked my mom for my hand in marriage, which he did before he even asked me. What a gentleman. But he said, I promised your mom that I'll always keep you happy. And that's going to be my quest, is your happiness. And I'll always tell you how loved you are. And you can say that. That like when you just get married.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, of course.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

But to keep up with it.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And to make sure he tells me in little things. I was just. I told you I was. I'm purging my house at the moment because we've just moved back to la. Right. I'm like switching it out for what's right for us now. So I have this memory drawer in which I keep cards. I love the cards that people write me. I love a handwritten note. So I was pulling out all my cards and they're all mixed up. And all of these letters that Nick has written to me over the years. And I put them all together and I was just reading them and right from the beginning, he just always told me, and you know, it's the simplest thing, but tell your loved ones you love them. It makes such a big difference.

[Jay Shetty]

Absolutely. Such an important reminder.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

Especially if you can write that well as well.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Marry a musician.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

[Podcast Advertiser 1]

There's drama and then there's full telenovela level drama.

[Podcast Advertiser 2]

Yes. And Elf Cosmetics went all the way there. Elf Cosmetics just dropped something wildly unexpected. A full blown absurd, absurdly funny telenovela celebrating positivity, inclusivity and accessibility. It's called Melissa and it's absurd in the best way. It stars Melissa McCarthy, TV doctor Nicholas Gonzalez and iconic telenovela villain Itati Cantoral. But the real star, Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil.

[Podcast Advertiser 1]

When the language fails her and her lips are dull and dry, only Glow can revive her. Melissa McCarthy, who I love fully commenced by even rolling the arrow with Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil.

[Podcast Advertiser 2]

Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil Reviver Lip Oil is an ultra glossy lip oil that nourishes, hydrates and enhances your lips natural color. Available in 10 shades at only $9 each.

[Podcast Advertiser 1]

Watch the full episode of their new E L f novella on soyumbanyo.com yes

[Podcast Advertiser 2]

and drench your lips in an addictive sheer watch of ultra glossy color with E L F Glow Reviver Lip Oil.

[Podcast Advertiser 3]

Discover a spectacular island destination with crystal blue seas, endless sunshine and the cool Bahamian breeze. Baja Mar, located in Nassau, Bahamas, offers your choice of three luxury hotels, over 45 fine dining and nightlife venues, Jon Batiste's All New Jazz club, the Caribbean's most luxurious casino, and one of a kind experiences for the entire family like our 15 acre tropical water park, wildlife sanctuary, world class golf course and so much more. Visit Bahamar.com to today you see it instantly.

[Podcast Advertiser 4]

It's Coldwater Creek, the mark of exceptional workmanship and signature touches inspired by a Mountain west heritage. Distinctive styles created from quality fabrics, silhouettes perfected with just the right drape. Feel good fits offering ease of movement and thoughtful details to elevate your look. Coldwater Creek's authenticity is embodied in every piece. Embrace embracing its confident spirit that carries through to today. Discover Coldwater Creek clothing designed to fit your life the way you want for a wardrobe you can count on season after season. Visit coldwatercreek.com Shop the new spring collection at 20% off $75 or more with code iheart20.

[Jay Shetty]

Priyanka, we we now end. You didn't do this last time. We end every episode with these two fun games that we created. One's called Would you'd rather? And the other one's Gut Reaction. Okay, so would you rather is first up. So Priyanka Chopra, this is your. Would you rather. Would you rather play the hero or the villain for the rest of your career? In movies? Obviously.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah. Thank God. I mean, I do love playing a bad guy, but it would get boring for the rest of your life because I don't know how creative I could get with how many bad guys, but I'll say the villain. It's more interesting.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. The bluff.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Okay.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. We're gonna get to see you.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Well, I'm not a villain in the Pluffs.

[Jay Shetty]

No, you're not. But we get to see you do a lot of crazy action scenes.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah. You know, it's. So this movie, which I've done a lot of work with Amazon prime and this is another one of our collaborations. But this movie is at such a pivotal point in my life because my character is a former pirate who was known as Bloody Mary, self titled. I mean, you can tell why she was tough and gruesome and based off of, like, Grace o' Malley from Ireland and many other female pirates that did exist at that time whose lives were just insane. Like, if you read the books, it's like, I can't imagine being a female and a pirate at that time. But why this movie really resonated with me is something I said earlier, too, in the podcast, which is, how far would you go to protect your family? How far would you go to protect your children? And this is the story of a mother and a woman who says, you're not coming for my family. One of the most amazing lines in this movie, which I really, deeply resonated with, is, you come to my home, you threaten my family, and then I kill him. And I say, where's my husband? Where is my husband? Every wife when they're playing golf, isn't it?

[Jay Shetty]

I love that. That's so good.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

But, you know, I really. It's. It's. That's what I love about this movie. It's really fun. It's like a bloody gory.

[Jay Shetty]

The action scenes are insane.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It's like, I love doing that. It's gory, it's got drama. It's beautifully shot. Based in the Caribbean. What more could you ask? Our director was most humongously talented. Frankie Flowers.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, it's beautifully shot.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

What would you do? How far would you go?

[Jay Shetty]

And you've lived through that in your own version of that, so.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

And I will continue to. Yeah, like, I'd go to the ends of the earth to protect.

[Jay Shetty]

But I saw that in your eye when you said that. I was like, wow, do not mess here. Your eyes don't come for my family. And your eyes are like, jay, do not. And I'm like, I'm, like, trying to be family. I'm like, this is like, you know, this is. That was. I saw that in your eye. You, like, you're, like, fully locked in there. Yeah. And. And I was like, okay, I'm scared now. All right. Would you rather have to wear your Miss World crown to every major Hollywood premiere for the next year or have to introduce yourself as Miss World 2000 in every room you enter?

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Oh, neither. Oh, no, that's the worst. One should be a Miss World choice, and the other one shouldn't be neither. I. I'm very proud of that. Achievement for my 18 year old self at that time, but it's not something I would care to do again.

[Jay Shetty]

Okay. Would you rather accidentally send a flirty voice note meant for Nick to your entire production group chat? Or accidentally read one of your own romantic texts out loud thinking it was part of the script during a table read?

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Well, I wouldn't do that, but I may have even done this. Like, I am notoriously known for sending the wrong messages to the wrong.

[Jay Shetty]

Okay, got bit.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

So I think it would be funny. Yeah, I think it'll be hilarious. Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

All right, this one, this one applies to the bluff as well. Would you rather film a brutal stunt sequence in one take? Absolutely. Nail it, but get injured and never be allowed to do your own stunts again. Or play it safe, let a stunt double take over and always wonder if you could have done it yourself.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I have done enough work with incredible stunt teams to know when I can and when I can't.

[Jay Shetty]

Wow.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I'm very, very safe and practical. I'm not a hero when it comes to set. I don't need to prove a point. I'm a professional. I go to set, I see what I have to do. The bluff especially. In fact, there's a lot of one take scenes and a lot of injuries that I did get in this movie. But because it's a dramatic performance of a stunt movie, it really required my face in everything. It required me to convey the emotion of what I was feeling while I was in the stunt scenes. So I did a lot of it myself. I was trained by an incredible stunt team. My stunt coordinator and double, Anisha Gibbs, worked with me very, very closely. In fact, we shot a whole year. The first three months was heads of state. While I was filming Heads of state, I was training for the bluff.

[Jay Shetty]

That was great.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Thank you.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. So much fun.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It was so fun.

[Jay Shetty]

It was so much fun.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

So in between shots, we would train the sword fighting sequences on set. So Idris and John would be like, we don't use swords in this movie, but we would be training for the next one. Right after I finished that in France, I flew to Australia 10 days, seven days in, and started filming the Bluff, which was for three months. So it was just so intense. And you were right. In training happened while filming.

[Jay Shetty]

Wow.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Learning choreography happened while filming. So I would get like a few hours off after finishing a scene and I would go learn my choreo or in between shots. So it was just like very alive and creative and. But I'm very safe. Like I learned very early in my Career that the person doing the stunt, you have to walk your path. Even if your stunt doubles checked it for you, you walk your path, you see if there's, you know, a nail coming out from somewhere. If you could get injured, if you know where you're falling doesn't have, like a protrusion. Like, you have to be really practical in order to be able to pull off stunts and stuff like that. You can't be a hero.

[Jay Shetty]

I like the pragmatism and the practicality. Very useful.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Can't be a hero.

[Jay Shetty]

Great answer. All right, one, one of. Would you rather. And then we got reaction. So would you rather perform. I think I know the answer to this one because I saw you already do this and it was amazing. Would you rather perform one full Jonas Brothers song on stage by yourself?

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

What?

[Jay Shetty]

In front of a sold out stadium, or open a Jonas Brothers show with a five minute standup monologue about your relationship?

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I'll do the monologue.

[Jay Shetty]

You did so good on the roast. The roast is so good. That is hands down still one of my favorite clips of you.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Can I tell you a secret?

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, please.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Nick wrote my roast. No. Did he?

[Jay Shetty]

Actually, no. Don't tell us that. Don't ruin. Was so good.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

But I'm not ruining it. That's our partnership.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, that's your partnership. But your delivery was brilliant.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Thank you. I mean, he didn't write all of it. He brought in a lot of amazing contributions.

[Jay Shetty]

Wow, he's good. He's a good writer at comedy too. What can't this guy do?

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

He knows his wife. He wanted to set me up for success. And he was like, you need to lean into this joke. You need to say that. And I was like, no, I don't want to address that. He was like, the Instagram was all Nick.

[Jay Shetty]

It was such a good.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Where he was like, you have the most Instagram followers of all three of us combined. And I was like, I'm not saying that on your.

[Jay Shetty]

That was so good, though.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

He was like, you have to say it. So, you know, he like, he was like. And yeah, that's our partnership where, you know, we want to set each other up for success.

[Jay Shetty]

I love that.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

What a such a beautiful moment for me where he just, like, came up with his own roast.

[Jay Shetty]

That's awesome. They were great jokes. They. They landed so well.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Thank you.

[Jay Shetty]

All right. Gut reaction to your instinctual response because you the final five with us last time, so we. We made this up for you. The thing I pretend I'm chill about, but I'm not is.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Most things I literally come across as the most chill and most confident, but inside I'm. I'm like a duck under the water, but up front you don't see anything. So I'm stressed about most things.

[Jay Shetty]

The most unhinged thought I've had this week was. Was.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It's not unhinged, but it's an honest thought. Yeah. Just came up actually in your library.

[Jay Shetty]

Oh, God. God.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

So when we first moved into our house, I was filming a lot and, you know, we had people who were doing the interiors and helping us with the interiors of our home. So when I. I have a library, which is my pride and joy. And so I walked into the library and the books were color coded and I was like, what are you doing? Whose library is color coded? Your library was color coded. I was like, jay, do you read your books or are they just pretty?

[Jay Shetty]

That's so good. That's so good.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Do you actually read them?

[Jay Shetty]

I love it. I'm glad. Thank you for being honest. This is good. I like it. I like it. That's good. Well, I have two. You'll see the one in the house when we go there later today. So that's my bookshelf. That's my pride and joy. It's all mixed and messed up and everything. See, that's like. And this was like during Zoom days of pandemic. So it was like, yeah, everything's sorted. Yeah, exactly. You could tell. Great answer. Great answer. The most humbling mom moment I've recently

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

had was so being a working mom is tough. I saw my mom being a working mom and her mom, so I know it's doable. Whenever me or my husband leave, either one of us are with Maltese. If I'm traveling, he's with her. Or we have the grandparents, my in laws, who are beautiful and gracious while I'm doing this press tour there with our daughter or my mom. But I was packing up and I was leaving for a film shoot. I'm working on an Indian movie called Varanasi in Hyderabad.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Congrats. So excited for this.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Thank you.

[Jay Shetty]

This is huge. I just want to point out for everyone who doesn't know, it's like, there's a gentleman who made Rrr Rajamouli.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

SS Rajamouli.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Who's making Varanasi. And so it's amazing. Congratulations.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah, this is a great part and an incredible movie and great partners in the movie. So I've had to fly back and forth from Hyderabad like every month because I come and back to Malti Yeah, I literally. My airline status has gone up because of this one movie. But I was leaving and I was packing up, and before I leave for a trip, we talk about it, and we have this invisible string which is in her heart and my heart. And, you know, we talk about the fact that mom has gone for, like, 12 sleeps or 15 sleeps. And so we were having that chat, and whenever she has real feelings, she talks to her babies because she is a mother, Mama. And she has little dollies, which are her babies. And so when I was leaving, she was looking at her baby and she says, I'm such a good mama. I don't leave you and go to work. She's three and a half that time.

[Jay Shetty]

Oh, my gosh. That's heartbreaking.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

So what was the question again? Yeah, that was my.

[Jay Shetty]

That is the most humbling moment in a while.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I was like, my toes curled. I was almost about to cancel my flight. Oh, my God, I was so stressed out. And then she laughed and smiled at me. She knew it was a joke. You know, she jumped on me and I was like, don't say that. And she was like, no, Mama, no. Like, she doesn't like getting me or Nick or any of us, like, upset. She's very sensitive to that. So. But I was like. I was thinking about it the whole flight to Hyderabad. I was like, oh, my gosh. Trust your child to humble you.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

That is in one second.

[Jay Shetty]

That is painful. That's heartbreaking. That's not even humbling. That's just.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I know.

[Jay Shetty]

Heartbreaking.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

So tough.

[Jay Shetty]

I know if I ever have a little girl, I'm gonna be wrapped around her finger. That's gonna be so hard.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It's over.

[Jay Shetty]

It's so hard because they have that

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

little voice and those eyes.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It's just over.

[Jay Shetty]

That's crazy.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

That's crazy.

[Jay Shetty]

How does it feel to be going back to India to do a movie again after so many years?

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

If there was any film to be done, it would have been this. Like, this is the best way of going back into Indian films. I missed it so much. I missed, you know, dancing. I missed the chaos on set. I missed the creativity. And with SS Rajamouli sir, he's so. His mind is. And his vision is so far beyond limited imagination that just to be able to see what he's thinking and kind of be the vessel to tell that story is great. My part is amazing. I have, like, a beautiful graph of ups and downs in the movie. My co actors are great. You know, it's awesome to be Able to work with actors who, like, know their stuff, arrive, you know, on time, like, are great to be around, are fun. And, you know, it's been a really, really gratifying journey so far. It's long. He takes a long time to make movies. It's almost been 14 months. But, you know, it's gonna be really special. Journey of it has also been special. In fact, I took Malti to Hyderabad once and she went to the farm and she saw, like, they had this beautiful farm outside of Hyderabad which, you know, so his wife, his family, they, like, run themselves and it was so much fun. You know, she met, like, calves and saw paddy fields and, like, ran around and it was beautiful. I love it.

[Jay Shetty]

I'm so excited for you for the bluff, for. For Varanasi, for your family. It's. Congratulations on it all and thank you today for just, you know, sharing it as it is and what's going on behind the scenes.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

What all did I say?

[Jay Shetty]

What's happening? You know, what's. What's really going on? You can tell me offline if we, you know, got there.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I don't know. I don't like. That's the thing about you. Yes. 1. When I'm doing an interview, I try not to think about it. But you also, like, have this amazing innate quality of being able to, like, get people to talk about tough things without very sweet feeling judged or without feeling critiqued. I don't know what'll happen when these clips come out, but while we're on this couch, it's real good.

[Jay Shetty]

Oh, gosh. Well, no, I. My. My only intention is just that, you know, that. That people get to talk about the things they don't get to talk about anywhere else. And. And people get to really understand what's going on when we think we know everything. I think we live in a world right now where we. We think we know what everyone's going through. We think we know what everyone believes.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

And. And it's nice to have an opportunity to create space. And I think it's not just creating space for each other, but hopefully this ripples out into people creating space in their families and their friends and.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

Amongst each other. It is interesting.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Giving each other benefit of the doubt.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Some grace in space.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Some goodness. Believing in people's goodness. I used to think, actually Nick writes this in his letter, but I used to think that was, like, one of my worst qualities because I'm the worst judge of people. I always see people for the good in them. Like, I don't understand like, why would you have a bad agenda?

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, right, right.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Like, why would.

[Jay Shetty]

Radi's like that too. Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It doesn't make sense in my brain. Like, why would you say something to me that you don't mean? That's so convoluted and exhausting to think about. Like, but there are people like that in the world. And as I', navigated, you know, many different countries, you have to. And I'm raising a daughter, like, I want to be able to equip her to protect herself and sometimes that kind of transparency or just, you know, oh, my gosh. What you're saying is probably what I'm getting is not the right thing because, you know, there are tricky people in the world. But it's just tough on me. I've just never been able to navigate that very well.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. It's a good quality as well.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Is it though? It's a little too trusting.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, it's. It's. I mean, I guess as long as you have good boundaries, when you discover something, I think that's. Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

The problem is the discovery.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, the discovery could be terrible.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

It depends on how you never discover it because some people are really good at maintaining, you know, like two faced nature or whatever. Yes. My husband's great. Oh, my God. He's the best judge of character. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know why he says that about me. I, like, can't tell. I'll tell after you show me your cards. Like, after someone does something, I'm like, that sucks.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

But I cannot tell without that.

[Jay Shetty]

Well, you're a great team, Great partnership. Priyanka. It's been a joy, truly, it's been such a joy talking to you again. I'm so glad to have you back on after five years. I know. Please do not wait five years. Please do not wait five years to come back. I hope you come back sooner.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yes, for sure. I'm glad to be here actually in the studio instead of doing it virtually.

[Jay Shetty]

Absolutely. You're the best. Congratulations.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Thank you. Oh, thank you. You're doing production now.

[Jay Shetty]

Yes.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Coming to my side of the business.

[Jay Shetty]

Announced. Yeah, yeah. Having so much fun with it, are you? It's like, you know, when, when you grow up, where I grew up in London, I would never have believed in a million years that I'd ever have the opportunity to do something like this. Especially what I thought I'd be when I grew up. And so the fact that I even have the opportunity is such a blessing and such a fortune. So very excited about the projects. We're working on and so proud of you.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I tell you, everyone navigating just your career, and maybe I'm saying this out of experience, but we are living in an incredible time where you can actually think of the most insane idea and monetize it for everyone. This is not just like for me as an actor, in fact, it's limiting for me as an actor. But you can, can, you know, go beyond the medium that you've been given. Like you could be a content creator, you could become a producer, you could write yourself a story and fund it. You could be enterprising. I tell every person who's navigating this ever changing world of any business that you might be in with AI with there's so much change. Like, be enterprising, be an entrepreneur for yourself. Learn to sell yourself and your strengths and understand that, you know, the end goal might look really large. Like, you know, you're working with Netflix and you're producing TV shows. Like, that's insane. If you tell your 10 year old

[Jay Shetty]

self totally, yeah, even my 20 year

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

old self, or even your 20 year old self. But you're enterprising and you know your strengths and that's just good business. And to be able to be excited about the opportunity, Opportunity is very humble of you. But I would like to applaud the fact that you've been able to build that road for yourself and you've been enterprising for yourself and, you know, built yourself into such a strong business. And that's just what I really encourage everyone to think like that for yourself, you know, and dreams just we're at a time where it's kind of magical.

[Jay Shetty]

Absolutely. Well, it's people like yourself and even the story you shared today about pivoting, pivots, that may not even be the end point. It may not even be the direction,

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

part of the journey.

[Jay Shetty]

People like yourself, I think it's really inspiring when you're at the top of your game, you can pivot, try something, go, no, this isn't me. And then move again and win. And it's like that. I think watching people do that, people like yourself, I think have set such a great example for everyone to not. And everyone around you will tell you the opposite. By the way, like when I wanted to start doing, doing this, everyone's like, Jay, like, you know your lane. Like, just do your thing. Like know your lane. And I was just like, well, what is my lane? Like, I didn't know this existed 10 years ago. It's the worst advice.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Yeah, never Stay in your lane.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

That's like the worst advice because everyone is running so hard to find a lane.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

Like when you have something that's unique, which you do about yourself, you can pivot that into anything. Creativity is not limited to like a, a book. If you're a writer, you could write a screenplay.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, totally.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

You could write a script. You could turn that writing and problem solving skill set into production. You could turn production into direct. Like it could. I'm just talking about my field because I just know my field. But even being able to pivot and navigate within the industry or the medium that you know is really cool to open your mind up for that. Never ever actually stay in your, your lane.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Well, you've, you've set the standard and you've paved the way and shown a great example.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

So thank you.

[Jay Shetty]

Happy to get your mentorship and guidance and, and all the steer and insights you have for me for sure along the way.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I'm so excited for you.

[Jay Shetty]

Thank you.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

I can't wait to hear more about it.

[Jay Shetty]

You're so sweet. If you're feeling inspired by this episode, you won't want to miss my conversation with Wicked's Cynthia Erivo.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

We are afraid to let a person go and we need to be okay.

[Jay Shetty]

Okay with things people go.

[Priyanka Chopra Jonas]

We don't know what path people are walking on when they walk into our lives. We might just be a stepping stone in their path. Just like stepping stones in their life.

[Podcast Advertiser 3]

Discover a spectacular island destination with crystal blue seas, endless sunshine and the cool Bahamian breeze. Baha Mar, located in Nassau, Bahamas, offers your choice of three luxury hotels, over 45, fine dining and nightlife and venues. Jon Batiste's all new jazz club, the Caribbean's most luxurious casino and one of a kind experiences for the entire family like our 15 acre tropical water park, wildlife sanctuary, world class golf course and so much more. Visit bajamar.com today.

[Podcast Advertiser 1]

You know that feeling when a story just grabs you and won't let go? That's the kind of drama that's waiting for you on Disney Hulu. Mysterious post apocalyptic thrillers like the acclaimed Hulu original paradise action adventure dramas like Daredevil, Born Again and iconic medical dramas like Grey's Anatomy. Or maybe you want your drama with a side of comic relief with shows like High Potential. Find the drama you want on Disney and Hulu with a bundle. Subscription terms apply.

[Podcast Advertiser 4]

You see it instantly. It's Coldwater Creek, the mark of exceptional workmanship and signature touches inspired by a mountain west herit heritage. Distinctive styles created from quality fabrics, silhouettes perfected with just the right drape feel good fits offering ease of movement and thoughtful details to elevate your look. Coldwater Creek's authenticity is embodied in every piece, embracing its confident spirit that carries through to today. Discover Coldwater Creek clothing designed to fit your life the way you want. For a wardrobe you can carry, count on season after season, visit coldwatercreek.com shop the new spring collection at 20% off 75 or more with code iheart20 this

[Podcast Advertiser 3]

is an iheart podcast. Guaranteed human.