Review of Priyanka Chopra Jonas' memoir, Unfinished

Stories excite us. They bring us adventure, romance, friendship, emotion and wonder. Stories told on screen, can feel larger than life. Bollywood, in particular, enthrals in this with its ‘masala movies’ featuring beautiful people in exquisite costumes on extravagant sets enacting dramatic plots with magical music. And actors with their glamorous lifestyles can often feel like a part of that world and apart from ours.

Which is why it’s always so interesting when they pull back the curtain. And Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ memoir Unfinished was a wonderfully pleasant surprise. The 38 year old actress may have only been in Hollywood for the past few years but she’s been a Bollywood stalwart for more than ten years and prior to that, won Miss World in 2000. She was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 “Most Influential People” of the year, is a global UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, is now a producer and the British Fashion Council’s Ambassador for Positive Change.

But in her book, she’s like a friend. Warm and thoughtful, she reflects on the formative moments, life-changing occasions and memories that define her life and have made her who she is today. Whether it’s sharing the happy memories from her childhood, nerve-wracking moments in her career, the nepotism and sexism she encountered early on in her career in Bollywood, the personal traumas she has suffered or her abounding joy during her marriage to singer Nick Jonas, she writes with ease, confident in herself enough to share her mistakes and at peace with herself enough to talk about past difficulties with grace.

And there’s a lot she shares. Like feeling abandoned and confused when she was sent to boarding school as a preteen, the crippling loss of self confidence she faced after a year of constant bullying at high school and how for a year after her father passed away, she grappled with depression from grief and would simply go to work and then come home and sit on the same spot on the sofa and watch TV until it was time to sleep. These stories humanise the global superstar, make her relatable and give the reader reassurance that everyone struggles from time to time but that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

And that’s another thing that makes this such an enjoyable read. It’s incredibly inspiring. Through all her personal struggles, the hardships of those around her and the distress she sees during her humanitarian work, Priyanka always seeks to see the positive. And it leaves the reader wanting to channel that mindset too.

Beyond that, there are plenty of light moments to enjoy. Some shine a light on what goes on behind the scenes at high-profile events like the Met Gala, others on the sitcom-like moments that arise from the cultural differences someone experiences moving between East and West (like being confused at buffalo wings because buffalos don’t have wings), but some of the best are when Priyanka looks back at herself and laughs - like when she tried (unsubtly) to get Nick to ask her to stay whilst on a date. It’s clear she doesn’t take herself too seriously and it gives the book an air of wit and dry sense of humour that’s delightful.

It’s a great read if you’re a fan of the actress of-course, but even if you’re not, it’s a wonderful tale of grit, determination and endurance - inspiring qualities we’re all looking for right now. Read our interview with the actress here. Unfinished by Priyanka Chopra Jonas is published by Michael Joseph on Thursday 11th February, £20, Hardback and can be bought on Amazon here.