Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas announced that her debut book ‘Unfinished: A Memoir’ became a worldwide bestseller without being a “salacious” read. Released earlier this year by Penguin Random House India, the book offers insights into Priyanka’s childhood in India, her formative teenage years in the US where she endured bouts of racism, to her return to India, where she unexpectedly won the national and global beauty pageants that launched her acting career.
In conversation with columnist-author Vinita Dawra Nangia at the virtual Times Litfest 2021, Priyanka opened up about how she wanted to write a tell-all book about her life with grace. When asked if she was tempted to drop names, Priyanka said, “No, because it’s no one else’s story but mine. It’s actually funny. I remember reading few reviews that said, ‘Oh she didn’t speak the truth’ about things like that. I thought, basically you wanted a gossip rag in my book, not a tell-all.”
Pri added, “I’m really grateful that my book is number one bestseller without it being salacious. I don’t respond to that. I am not that person. I believe in having grace and a lot of the media doesn’t.”
Currently in London, the 39 year old actress said writing her memoir was a tough experience as she had never written a “structured” material before. She was also conscious about not turning it into a book only meant for her fans. “Writing a book is a different ball game. You need to know what each chapter means and how you’re ending it. The technique of writing it was the hardest part, and to make it an interesting read. I didn’t want the book to cater to just my fans or people who love me. I wanted it to be a good read, be funny, interesting, have a sense of personality,” she said.
