Priyanka Chopra at the India Today Mind Rocks Youth Summit in New Delhi

The last speaker of the summit, Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra, entered the auditorium to resounding cheers.

Despite pleas by Group Synergy Officer and session moderator, Kalli Purie it took ten minutes for the crowd to settle down.

Miss India 2000, Bollywood A-lister and soon-to-be global popstar, Chopra took to the podium to discuss "Music, Movies and Life" amidst loud applause. She narrated the story of her path to stardom; from humble beginnings as the geeky daughter of an army officer to winning the Miss World crown.


Actor Priyanka Chopra at the India Today Mind Rocks Youth Summit 2012.
An entertaining speaker, who knew how to work the crowd, Chopra narrated several interesting anecdotes from her rise to stardom.

"I was aprehensive before joining films. People asked how I would be able to adjust in Bollywood. But I was sure that I could learn. If I could learn how to survive in an American high school, if I could learn to walk in heels and represent my country, I knew I could learn how to act," says Chopra.

She went on to discuss her forthcoming film 'Barfi' in which she plays an autistic girl alongside Ranbir Kapoor and also expressed apprehension regarding the success of her debut as an international singer.


Priyanka Chopra at the India Today Mind Rocks Youth Summit in New Delhi.
"It's nerve wracking. It's like giving an exam," she said. Her album is scheduled for a September 13 release.

Inspiring the crowd, Chopra encouraged everyone to be at peace with who they are. "The world is your oyster. Be who you are and make only those decisions that you can live with."

She concluded her speech by singing two lines from Tinka Tinka to an ecstatic crowd.

Priyanka Chopra shares a light moment with Kalli Purie, Group Chief Synergy Officer, India Today Group.
Q1. How did you overcome your flaws?

A. If I take off my heels, I'll be the same gawky teen again. I think it is okay to be flawed. I didn't stand out for many months, I used to hide from people and not eat lunch at school. You have to work on your flaws to improve yourself. If I can do it, so can everybody else.

Q2. How do you switch from playing a modern girl to a desi girl?

A. I think all of us have a bit of both in us. We wear jeans and saris, our culture is a mix of desi and modern. Understanding different aspects of characters helps me to switch characters.