Overview
- Anjula Acharia said industry figures called her “stupid” for trying to introduce a “brown Bollywood star” to America when she began pitching Chopra.
- Acharia recalled Chopra reintroducing herself in meetings and even meeting “the assistant of the assistant,” which she described as heartbreaking.
- She recounted seeking advice from Jimmy Iovine, who compared the skepticism to doubts he faced launching Eminem.
- Chopra’s U.S. breakthrough came with ABC’s Quantico in 2015, making her the first South Asian woman to lead an American network drama.
- Chopra next headlines The Bluff on Prime Video on February 25, 2026, and has Citadel season 2 and S. S. Rajamouli’s Varanasi slated for 2027.