If you thought Priyanka Chopra’s lyrics for her debut single ‘In My City’ were cheesy, wait till you see the official video.
No offence to PC, as she is fondly referred to by her fans, we think she’s gorgeous and all, but it looks like that’s not going to be enough for a successful international pop career.
In the video, the actress is all legs as she steps out of a BMW and breaks into a dance on the street.
That’s not the only promotional material placed front and centre, either -- Chopra and her multi-ethnic cast of friends are seen on clearly branded mobile phones throughout, in what often feels more like an advertisement than a song.
Aimed at showcasing her desi-meets-global persona, there’s even a namaste juxtaposed with some tribal moves a la Shakira. Some hip thrusts in skimpy shorts later, against some very psychedelic caricatures in the background, Chopra’s kitsch video, you will soon realise, is amateur at best. Her newly-developed American twang does not help her case. Neither does a quaint auto-rickshaw as a token Indian fixture. Even will.i.am, who makes an appearance in the video and the single, does not rescue it from the depths of mediocrity.
Despite the profound lyrics (“C’mon here in my city, everybody’s welcome here, everybody’s welcome to my city, we got no worries here”), her utopian city featured in the video isn’t as inviting as it should be and can best be defined as pedestrian.
But if you are game for a crash course on some Bollywood moves, this could be a good place to start. Guided by Lady Gaga’s manager Troy Carter, Chopra is billed as the first Bollywood star to be signed by Creative Artists Agency, the same company behind artists such as Lady Gaga, Kanye West and Britney Spears.
