Interview with Priyanka

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Priyanka makes big impact at Global Leadership Forum

Mumbai, Aug 4: Priyanka Choprahas returned triumphant from her first speech in an international forum and says she was nervous when found herself sandwiched between two stalwarts.

Priyanka shared the dais with the likes of Sir Tim Berners Lee, who is the founder of World Wide Web, and Yale University lecturer Jeffrey Sonenfeld at the Global Leadership Forumin the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur Tuesday.

"I was in Kuala Lumpur for only four hours. I landed, gave my speech and flew out to Mumbai. It was rather scary because I was addressing a very distinguished international audience. But the speech went very well," Priyanka told IANS

"The question and answer also went well. The speaker after me was Sir Tim Berners Lee, founder of the World Wide Web, and before me was Dr. Jeffrey Sonenfeld, founder of Yale. So, I felt I was sandwiched between two stalwarts who'd crush me.

"Fortunately, I stood my ground. Other speakers included Donald Trump and Gerald M. Levin (former chairman Time-Warner Inc). In comparison I was just a novice," said Priyanka.

Priyanka was proud to be addressing a world forum.

"The challenge was big because I was representing my country. I felt I did a good job. Of course, I'd like to represent my country more often. I feel I've so many puddings to dip my finger into. It's all exciting and new.

"I always had a social side to me. I don't like to talk about my social activities except when I need to bring media focus to an issue, like an AIDS campaign. I feel we celebrities need to create awareness about critical issues. It's our way of giving back to a society that's given us so much love and adulation."

It wasn't just the nervousness that she feels about her first-ever speech on a global forum on Aug 1 that makes Priyanka Chopra jittery.

She's also terribly apprehensive about her father's surgery for which he leaves with her mom for Boston on Aug 6.

"I hope this will be his last and totally successful surgery. We've gone through enough stress and need a break now. Hopefully, dad will be totally out of it."

Unfortunately, she cannot accompany her parents to the US since she'd shooting in Mumbai for Nikhil Advani's "Salaam-E-Ishq". But she is hoping to be in Boston at least on the day of the surgery.

She still recalls with a shudder how her kid-brother found out about the nature of their father's illness from a newspaper report.

"We had told him that dad was ill. But we hadn't informed him of the nature of his illness. He's just 13 yaar! To have to know about your father's serious illness through the newspaper at that age isn't easy. I think it made my little brother grow up overnight."

Priyanka had left for Kuala Lumpur to address the Global Leadership Forum with a heavy heart. It was not just her dad's surgery, a good friend had also fallen ill and been hospitalised.

"Simple Kapadia is not just my first costume designer, she has also become a good friend during the making of Guddu Dhanoa's film. Now when we're shooting the film again Simple and I are really bonding. She told me about her illness. But she said she was doing fine. The next thing I know she's in hospital.

"I know what a family goes through when someone falls ill. We've been through it. I wouldn't wish this one anyone."