"Do I look like a woman who plays in the minor leagues?" The question is asked, softly, by Nadia Sinh, among the last surviving members of the international spy network, Citadel, in Prime Video's web series of the same name. The line could well apply to Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who plays Sinh.
Because Chopra Jonas, who debuted on American TV with the thriller Quantico eight years ago, is in the biggest league of the moment. Citadel, which debuted late last month and also stars Richard Madden and Stanley Tucci, is only six episodes long. But the action thriller cost $300 million to make, and has become the network's most popular series after The Rings of Power. Local installments in India, Italy and Mexico are being planned, expanding the Citadel universe.
And Chopra Jonas, 40, is at the centre of it all, wielding guns, knives, even red lipstick, as a deadly weapon.
Prep and prime The Russo Brothers, Anthony and Joseph, who produced the series, wanted to keep it visceral, she says.
"They wanted to achieve stunts and fight sequences that you may not see women do that much." So, Chopra Jonas trained six days a week and for one-and-a-half years straight. “I wanted to show up and have my character have as much agency as any other character in the show," she says.
The prep was long and physically taxing. "I didn't go to the gym for five months after the show. I just didn't want to see any of it." Some signs of that action are hard to miss. Chopra Jonas points to a scar on her left eyebrow. She got it while shooting an action scene, fighting five men, on a rainy day, in a dense forest.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 13, 2023 من Brunch.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 13, 2023 من Brunch.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Photos or pulp fictions?
Gauri Gill's portraits showcase ordinary folks, doing ordinary things, but wearing extraordinary masks. See why the quirky series offers more than what meets the eye
Hear it from a reliable sauce
Kikkoman launched a dark soya sauce for the Indian market after realising that Indians expect Chinese and pan-Asian dishes to have a rich, dark colour. It mimics the taste profile of the flagship Kikkoman soya but has a different colour.
He says, she says
Best friends, partners and actors Shweta Tripathi Sharma and Chaitnya Sharma answered the same questions in their first joint interview. The results: Couple goals
Against the machine
AI is already behind little tunes we hear every day. Could it create the next hit? Composers and engineers listen in
YOLO, so why go solo?
Films and shows are overrun with lone wolves. One fighter against all odds. One hero doing it all. Bea team player, maybe?
Get your vision tested here
Vision boards are great tools for those dreaming of anew job ora killer body. Don't just tack pics on toa wall. Here's how to doit right
Are You Of Week Mind?
You can't speed up fitness. Skincare is a slow process. Even learning a skill can take a year. Try unhacking for a change
A case of myth direction
Nutritional data is changing all the time. So, advice often seems contradictory and sketchy. Is breakfast essential? Is red meat evil? What's wrong with soy? Here's where science stands on the big questions
No kids on the block
Being childfree can be just as rewarding as having a big family. Those who've made the choice say there's no guilt, no regret. There are, however, bold new challenges. Take a look
Shes making her point
She calls herself Dot. She's anything but insignificant. Meet Aditi Saigal, viral at 18, actor by accident, musician for life, determined to try it all