Yukta Mookhey says there's nothing to appreciate about ‘junior' Priyanka Chopra: ‘Sirf Miss World title milne se…'

Hindustan Times

27-06-2025

Yukta Mookhey won the Miss World title in 1999, and just a year later, Priyanka Chopra brought the crown back to India again. It was a rare opportunity for India to win the title for the second consecutive year. In a recent interview with Filmymantra Media, Yukta spoke about how her 'junior' Priyanka sought her advice while preparing for the pageant. Yukta Mookhey reveals there's nothing to appreciate about Priyanka Chopra.
When asked about any trait of Priyanka that she appreciates, Yukta said, "nothing". She added, "No. Because she is junior to me. She was the one taking advice from me. Because she was in the following year after me. I personally feel that there were things that I guided her for, and her parents were sort of wanting to talk to my parents. I don't think she is the right person for you to ask me at this moment."
She hinted that Priyanka saw her as competition and said, "I remember Juhi Chawla spoke to me after I won and came back and she spoke to me very kindly. She said you are so beautiful and so tall, you carry yourself so well, think about going international. So those are the kind of people I am talking about, who don't look at you as competition. They don't look at you as a threat. They look at you as someone who is a junior, or like 'I might be able to teach them something', and that requires a lot of greatness. Sirf Miss India ya Miss World title milne se cheezen nahi hoti (Just winning the title of Miss India or Miss World doesn't make everything happen)." Priyanka Chopra and Yukta Mookhey's film career
While both of them won Miss World title, their career graph took dramatically different turns. Yukta struggled to establish a lasting career in the entertainment industry. She appeared in a handful of films such as Pyaasa, Katputtli, and Memsahab, but none achieved commercial or critical success.
In contrast, Priyanka transitioned seamlessly into films and quickly rose to stardom in Bollywood. With acclaimed performances in movies like Fashion, Barfi!, and Bajirao Mastani, she became one of the most successful and versatile actors in Indian cinema. Eventually, she crossed over to Hollywood with projects like Quantico, Baywatch and The White Tiger, and has established herself as a global star, producer, and entrepreneur.
She is now awaiting the release of her upcoming film Heads of State, which also stars John Cena and Idris Elba. The actor plays the role of MI6 agent Noel Bisset in the film, which is scheduled to premiere on Prime Video on July 2.