Priyanka Chopra Jonas shines in Abu Dhabi's Bridge Summit 2025: 'I had to fight for years before I got my first real break in Hollywood'

Abu Dhabi: “We give too much importance to things that barely consume anyone else’s attention. Focus on your dreams, your growth, your legacy — not someone else’s post,” Priyanka Chopra Jonas told delegates on the second day of the Bridge Summit 2025.

The global Bollywood icon, who has successfully navigated the worlds of Hindi cinema, Hollywood, and entrepreneurship, used her address to discuss not only ambition and career choices, but also the modern pressures of social media and the importance of setting boundaries.

“Scrolling constantly, comparing yourself to curated snapshots, can consume your mental space. It can make you feel like you’re not enough, when in reality, everyone else is just living their lives. Social media is a tool — it was literally called that for a reason — and we need to use it for connection, not validation,” she said.

She described her personal social media policy as a deliberate choice to protect her mental health.

“I decide how I engage, what I focus on, and what I ignore. I enjoy social media, it can be a lot of fun, and I love seeing talent and creativity from around the world. But I also know when it becomes harmful, when comparison takes over. You have to take back control, or it takes control of you.”

Her reflections on social media led naturally into her broader philosophy of life, which she likens to a circus act.

“Life keeps handing you more: a new business, a new child, a new responsibility. You’re juggling everything, trying not to drop a ball,” she explained. “Some people find it easier, some harder. And the truth is, you can’t treat every responsibility equally. Some balls are made of crystal.”

A mentor once gave her this advice: “It’s great to learn to juggle with age and experience, but you also have to figure out which balls must never break.” For Chopra Jonas, those “crystal balls” are her family and her home. “My greatest accomplishment isn’t a movie or a show,” she said. “It’s building a home where my family can come and feel rested. I guard my family and my sanity fiercely — everything else can bounce back.”

The Bridge Summit audience heard her explain how protecting what matters most applies both personally and professionally.

BRIDGE Summit 2025, launched yesterday in Abu Dhabi, is a platform that has brought together personalities from media, sports, entertainment and digital content to explore the future of creative industries.

Reflecting on her journey in Hollywood, she spoke candidly about the challenges of breaking into a system rife with stereotypes.

“When I first moved to America and started working in pop music and acting, many roles were written with stereotypes. I had to fight for years before I got my first real break — a role where I could just be an American character, not defined by my ethnicity,” she recalled.

Chopra Jonas emphasised the importance of strategic choices and the courage to say no, even when lucrative opportunities are on the table. She cited Matthew McConaughey’s famous decision to turn down $14.5 million to play a typecast romantic lead. “One no can change the trajectory of your career,” she said. “You have to define the core of who you want to be, the people you want to work with, and let that guide your decisions.”

Ambition, she added, is not only about dreaming big, but also about self-awareness and pragmatism. Using a gym analogy, she explained how the brain often seeks comfort, telling us to stop before we’ve truly reached our potential. “Your mind will sell you the idea that you’ve done enough, but the challenge is to know what’s manageable and when to push yourself versus when to rest. That balance is key to sustainable ambition.”

Chopra Jonas also addressed the myth of constant productivity. “Doing less is often seen as a luxury, but in reality, it’s a privilege earned through years of hard work. Early in my career, I missed birthdays, Christmases, and even critical family moments to work every day. That sacrifice allowed me to reach a point where I can choose when to say yes — and say no without fear.”

Her reflections on saying yes and no extended to personal growth and evolving priorities. “There’s a time for everything,” she said. “When I first started working, I said yes to everything because every opportunity was a privilege. I didn’t know where my strengths lay, and I wanted to try everything. But now, I say yes with intention. I weigh the pros and cons, I think about the impact on my family, my sanity, and my long-term goals. That’s how you protect your crystal balls.”

Throughout her address, Chopra Jonas urged attendees to focus on personal growth rather than comparison. She reminded the audience that human beings are inherently multifaceted.

“We’re a beautiful collection of talents. A doctor can play the violin. A mother can run a business. We should resist being boxed in, and constantly explore what we’re capable of.”

Her message resonated strongly in the context of the Bridge Summit, which brings together leaders across industries to discuss innovation, leadership, and global progress. Chopra Jonas’ insights combined practical career advice with deeply personal reflections, emphasizing resilience, self-awareness, and boundaries in an increasingly complex world.

Concluding her session, she returned to her guiding metaphor: “You can do a lot, but the real skill is knowing what cannot break — your family, your sanity, the things that define you. Everything else can bounce back.”

In an era where success is often measured by online visibility and relentless output, Chopra Jonas’ words offered a reminder that real achievement lies in understanding your priorities, protecting what matters most, and using tools like social media consciously rather than reactively. Her talk at the Bridge Summit was both a blueprint for professional ambition and a manifesto for personal well-being, illustrating how even amid global fame, it is possible to maintain balance, sanity, and purpose.