10 fun facts about Bollywood star Priaynka Chopra

Her parents were both physicians in the Indian Army, so Priyanka moved around a lot as a child. At age 13, she went to live with her aunt in the United States and attended schools in Massachusetts and Iowa.

Growing up, the self-proclaimed tomboy aspired to be an engineer or a psychologist. She also admits that she was bullied at her school in Boston for her skin colour and suffered from low self-esteem.

She was entered into the Femina Miss India contest in 2000 by her mother, and went on to win Miss World. Bollywood soon followed, with producers clamouring to cast the striking brunette in their movies.

She’s the first Indian woman to model for Guess. She was signed to the fashion label after CEO Paul Marciano met her and dubbed her "the young Sophia Loren."

The actress-turned-singer released a club-friendly cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” earlier this year. Before that, she collaborated with Pitbull on “Exotic,” a single that earned her a spot on the Canadian top 100 chart.

She has a tattoo that says “Daddy’s Lil Girl,” written in her late father’s handwriting, on her wrist. The ink is a tribute to her dear dad, who succumbed to cancer at age 64.

Priaynka has a number of affectionate nicknames, including Pee Cee and Piggy Chopps, though she says her friends call her Mimi and Sunshine.

She is the first Indian movie star to cast her foot impression in Italy’s Salvatore Ferragamo museum, joining the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Marliyn Monroe and Drew Barrymore.

Priyanka works with charities that help support women and young girls. In 2010, she helped create promotional messages for Pearls Wave Trust, a campaign against domestic violence and the abuse of girls. Chopra also appeared at the launch of a campaign called "Save Girl Child,” which aims to change the attitudes of Indians towards girls.