© Provided by People Prodip Guha/Getty
For fans of Bollywood gossip, Unfinished will certainly come up short. It’s no juicy tell-all. It’s something far better: a unique glimpse into the life and times of the woman who did what few in the Indian film industry have managed to do – put India on the global mainstream map. But fans of the star will find themselves wanting a bit more, perhaps, a deeper dive into key moments of her journey? All in all, this is a book that is warm, funny, sassy, inspiring, bold, and rebellious, just like its author.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas Says She'll 'Drop the Curtain' In Upcoming Memoir Unfinished — See the Cover Dana Rose Falcone 10/2/2020 Breach of Florida reservoir could unleash 'wall of water'; hundreds. Unfinished is the Priyanka Chopra Fairy Tale with its villains. Nick Jonas presents himself in her life - ticking all the boxes she had made by then – not just proverbially, but really.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas made good use of her increased time at home these past few months.
'I have to say, quarantine for me was very productive,' the actress, 38, tells PEOPLE.
That's because Chopra Jonas has been hard at work writing her upcoming memoir Unfinished, the cover of which PEOPLE can exclusively reveal. 'It was great to have this on my plate during quarantine,' she says. 'It really kept me sane.'
Unfinished didn't start out as a quarantine project, though. 'I had started this conversation with [her publisher] Penguin Random House two years ago when I knew that I was heading towards 20 years of being in the entertainment business,' Chopra Jonas says. 'It seems like the right time to introspect on my life, that was my reason for writing the book. And I think I cursed it when I called it Unfinished, because it took me two years to finish it!'
© Provided by People Priyanka Chopra Jonas's memoir UnfinishedThe Miss World 2000 winner enjoyed writing outside at the Los Angeles home she shares with husband Nick Jonas 'after my workout when it's quiet, and Nick's busy doing his thing,' she says. 'I would put on some soft music and just delve into the time of life I was writing about.'
Chopra Jonas also spoke to her mom, teachers from her childhood and key people from her early career days to help inform the personal story that spans her lifetime.
Gallery: 41 Unfiltered Thoughts on Netflix's Supercheesy Rom-Com Love, Guaranteed (PopSugar)
'There's literally every year of my life in this book, which is why I'm so nervous,' she says. 'This is me baring open, from the time I was a kid to when I got into pageants and what that felt like as someone who had no experience of the pageant world, and then being thrown into the Bollywood system and wanting to change my career path in my 30s, which is [a time when] girls are told it's beyond our prime to start all over again. I've had to push against the norm a lot through my whole life, and I discuss that in-depth.'
© Prodip Guha/Getty 'I might share great moments of my personal life, but I've always had walls up and been very private, and I open up in my book,' the actress tells PEOPLERELATED VIDEO: Priyanka Chopra Shares Photo Taken on Her First Date with Husband Nick Jonas
Chopra Jonas realizes that, because she entered the spotlight as a teenager when she started doing pageants, 'You can Google anything about from when I was 17. But I call this the in-between interviews book. Everything I talked about in my interviews is public knowledge, but what happens when I go back into my trailer, or when I go home at night? I might share great moments of my personal life, but I've always had walls up and been very private, and I open up in my book.'
Unfinished will see Chopra Jonas open up about 'things that fans may have always wondered why I have not commented upon,' she says. 'This book helped drop the curtain and share my vulnerabilities.'
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories
The memoir will even offer an inside look at Chopra Jonas' relationship with her pop star husband of nearly two years. 'There will definitely be insight on this extremely important chapter in my life,' the Baywatch star assures. 'My partner is one of my greatest pride and joys. He is a true partner in every sense. There's a big insight into our wedding, our love story, into my life before Nick and my life now.'
© Provided by People Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas.Ultimately, Chopra Jonas wants to empower readers to chase their dreams, something she did because of the encouragement she received from her parents as a kid and details in Unfinished.
'I hope that by the end of the book they see the importance of providing, specifically girls, with wings,' she says. 'And I hope that people who read the book really take a chapter from how my parents raised me, because they raised me to be fearless. The most important thing is to not be told that your dreams are small or silly, that they're not practical. I say be impractical. Push the limits. Be fearless.'
Unfinished is out Jan. 19 and available now for pre-order.
Catch People (the TV Show!) Monday through Friday. Check your local listings for exact times or stream the show every day at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT at People.com and PeopleTV.com.
Few things are more intriguing than a glimpse into the inner machinations of the life of a woman who dreamt of world domination and then went ahead and made it a reality. When Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s biography finally released, to say I was piqued would be an understatement.
And that’s how I landed up, headfirst into Unfinished a memoir by one of India’s trailblazing stars. Leafing through the book is almost like sitting across Priyanka on a cosy evening, exchanging stories and revelling in an extraordinary journey over drinks, as you would with a close friend. There’s a warm intimacy radiating through every page, right from when PCJ lets us into the loneliness she felt when she was shipped off to a hostel, to being bullied in high school. At every point, turn and corner, Priyanka’s inner voice is nudging her onwards to the next adventure, the next challenge, the next wave. And in the course of reading this book, she passes this voice on to the readers as well.
In Unfinished, we not only get a tete a tete with Priyanka the global star but also Priyanka the family girl. The loving relationship she shared with her father and her camaraderie with her mother, resonated with me at a personal level, and reinforced the idea that even at the end of the most successful day, it is family that’s worth being cherished the most. Priyanka takes us on a journey through her life so far, not as a guide or a curator, but as a friend – sharing her failings, vulnerabilities and laurels alike with delightful candour. The book reads exactly as she would speak, which makes it a wonderfully breezy yet soulfully poignant experience. There’s humour, spunk and humility in equal measure.
For fans of Bollywood gossip, Unfinished will certainly come up short. It’s no juicy tell-all. It’s something far better: a unique glimpse into the life and times of the woman who did what few in the Indian film industry have managed to do – put India on the global mainstream map. But fans of the star will find themselves wanting a bit more, perhaps, a deeper dive into key moments of her journey? All in all, this is a book that is warm, funny, sassy, inspiring, bold, and rebellious, just like its author.
Priyanka Chopra Memoir
Pages: 256
Price (Hardcover): ₹452
Available On: Amazon | Audible
Price (Hardcover): ₹452
Available On: Amazon | Audible