Priyanka Chopra Jonas has said that Hollywood's barriers to entry are crumbling — and pointed to the low-budget horror hit 'Obsession' as proof that a great idea, not industry connections, is now the most valuable asset an entertainer can hold. The actress made the remarks at the Cannes Lions conference on Wednesday, speaking candidly about her decade-long journey in the United States and her ambitions to scale her English-language career.

On the Power of Ideas in Entertainment

'I feel like if you have an idea, shoot it, put it on YouTube, and it can become 'Obsession', the movie that just came out,' Chopra Jonas told the audience. She added, 'What a wonderful time to be an entertainer, to be in the entertainment business, because ideas are your currency.'

The remarks reflect a broader shift in the industry that she has witnessed firsthand. Chopra Jonas noted that when she first arrived in Hollywood, the path into filmmaking was far more rigid — demanding both connections and a clear departmental specialisation. 'My parents were doctors, so none of us had any idea how to navigate film. It used to be such a niche industry when I first started. If you wanted to get into filmmaking, you had to figure out what department you wanted to be in,' she said.

The Challenge of Breaking Into Hollywood Without Connections

Chopra Jonas, who has been building her Hollywood career for over a decade, recalled being told early on that Indian cinema would 'never be as global as Hollywood because we're not English-language, and not everybody understands whatever language our movies might be in, whether Hindi, Telugu, Marathi or anything else.' That prediction, she suggested, has since been thoroughly challenged by the global appetite for non-English content.

She credited both streaming platforms and the COVID-19 pandemic with accelerating audience openness to international storytelling. The pandemic, in particular, pushed viewers to explore content from across the world — a shift that has benefited Indian filmmakers and performers considerably.

Why She Started a Production House

The actress, who was last seen in 'The Bluff' and has recently appeared in the streaming hits 'Citadel' and 'Heads of State', said she launched her production house specifically to create opportunities for emerging talent. 'New filmmakers, or filmmakers who have great ideas but don't have the ability to open doors that I may be able to open,' she explained as her core motivation.

The production venture represents a deliberate strategy: using her platform and industry access to lower the same barriers she once encountered herself.

Ambitions for Her English-Language Career

Chopra Jonas was equally direct about what she feels is unfinished business in Hollywood. 'In my Hindi-language career, I've worked with all the best filmmakers and the best actors, I've told amazing stories and done a variety of genres. Whereas in America, in Hollywood, in my English-language work, I haven't really done that as much,' she said.

The acknowledgement is notable given her sustained presence in American film and television. It signals that she views her current streaming success as a foundation rather than a ceiling — and that her most ambitious English-language work may still be ahead.