Today as she completes 16 years in the film industry, Priyanka Chopra herself must be a tad overawed by Priyanka Chopra! Actress, singer, film producer, philanthropist, multiple film award winner, a Padma Shri, on Forbes world list of highest-paid TV actresses, and on its World's 100 Most Powerful Women in 2017, and India’s most successful crossover star to Hollywood… she has come a long way, baby!

Back in 2003, she made her debut with The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003), followed by leading roles in Andaaz (2003) and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004). However, it was her breakout role in the 2004 thriller Aitraaz that really grabbed attention. Chopra considers her first role as an antagonist, portraying Soniya Roy, an ambitious woman who accuses her employee of sexual harassment, as the "biggest learning experience of her career."

Despite being part of top-grossing productions like Krrish and Don, her career went on to experience a slump. Then she hit right back as the troubled model in the drama Fashion (2008), which won her the National Film Award for Best Actress.

It opened the doors to a wider range of characters, as she surprised us with stunning performances all through this decade. She played the highly strung Marathi mulgi Sweety in Kaminey with aplomb, while as the woman who kills six of her husbands one after the other over a span of 35-odd years in 7 Khoon Maaf, she was diabolic but oh so delicious! She walked away with all the applause for her touching act as the autistic Jhilmil in Barfi!, and delivered a powerful punch of a performance as the gritty, gusty boxer in Mary Kom.

She brought eloquent expressions and body language to her role as Ayesha in Dil Dhadakne Do, playing a successful businesswoman who has neither the praise of her parents nor the respect of her husband. In Bajirao Mastani she practically stole the show as, Kashi, Bajirao’s first wife, with her elegance and child-like ways.

The year 2015 saw her making the successful transition overseas, as Alex Parrish on the ABC thriller series Quantico. She became the first South Asian to headline an American network drama series. With Hollywood films like Baywatch and the upcoming A Kid Like Jake and Isn’t It Romantic in her kitty, she is determined to give her best to making it work despite the colour bias she faces, which she recently spoke up about.

Today, she is known almost equally for her philanthropic work, having worked with UNICEF for the last ten years and was appointed as the national and global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights in 2010 and 2016 respectively. She promotes various causes such as environment, health and education, and women's rights and is particularly vocal about gender equality and feminism. All that and also a recording artist, who has released three singles, and the founder of the production company Purple Pebble Pictures, which released the acclaimed Marathi comedy-drama Ventilator (2016)… Priyanka Chopra has encapsulated more than a lifetime of achievements in her 16 years in showbiz!