‘There's no room to play': Priyanka Chopra shares the biggest differences between working in Hollywood and Bollywood; expert on adjusting to a different work environment

Indian Express

11-05-2025

Priyanka Chopra recently shared her unique perspective on working in two of the world's biggest film industries—Hollywood and Bollywood. She pointed out how Hollywood runs on extreme precision, with detailed schedules, endless emails, and call times down to the exact minute—like 7:32 a.m.
'The one difference I have seen between Hollywood and Bollywood is that Hollywood has so much paperwork, a hundred emails that will come to you before the next day, and timings are very specific. There's no room to play, unless you are working with a filmmaker who is like that. But within production, it's very tight and it's very very organised,' the Barfi actor revealed.
Compared to the West, she shared that here in Bollywood, 'we have a lot more jugaad' – we get stuff done. 'We are a little romantic about it, it's a different way of working. But that's also true to the countries in themselves,' she added.
When asked if she misses the laid-back, jugaad type of work, Chopra replied: 'No, I miss slow-motion dancing and singing and speaking in Hindi.'
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Adjusting to a different kind of work environment takes a different level of mental strength. Rima Bhandekar, psychologist, Mpower, Aditya Birla Education Trust told indianexpress.com that workplace atmosphere can influence a person's creative spark.
'In a free-flowing setup, there is more flexibility in thinking, freedom to make different choices, and space to experiment. It's conducive to great ideas—but without some restraint, it can turn messy in the end,' she said. On the other side, a structured setting gives transparency, objectivity, and attention to detail. Great for turning ideas into reality, but too much stiffness in the work set-up can contain your idea in a box.
Switching from one to the other? That's a real mental shift. Bhandekar suggested some ways to help you navigate this shift:
Know your style: It is important to know what thrives you – Do you like more freedom or focus?
Fine-tune your tempo: As per the setting, you need to pace yourself – Flexible roles need structure; structured roles need a spark.
Stay inquisitive: Interest helps in tuning into the needs of the setting – Note where and how creative juices flow in your new team.
Speak up more: Share your ideas and ask how things get done effectively.
Give it time: Every environment has its own pace of working —find your grace time.
Creativity isn't just in the setup but it is you who gets it going. Find your vibe, flex, and let your visions keep coming to you—wherever you are.