Priyanka Chopra remembers Papa

Priyanka Chopra’s ailing father Dr Ashok Chopra passed away at noon on Monday. He had been ill for some time. A trained doctor and an avid singer Dr Chopra was known  across the film industry for being affable and kind even to strangers.

Recalling  her earliest  memories  of her father Priyanka said in an interview. “As a child, I loved reading. I just loved sitting on the window  and reading and watching down on  the streets. My dad  was  in the army so we were always on the move. He taught me to drive at 13 when he’d take me to school. I was very scared of driving… My dad  used to be a doctor in the army until he  took voluntary retirement in 1997. He’ s a trained artiste, painter and singer. He used to be called  the singing surgeon. He used to do shows for the army.”

Priyanka inherited her father’s love for singing. “My dad sings, though not professionally. I’m a big fan of my father’s singing. I love singing. Ever since I was a child, I dreamt of getting in a white gown to sing on stage like Whitney Houston. I’ve been trained in Western classical singing. I used to sing soprano in a choir.” One of my earliest memories — when I was three — is of my dad on stage looking at me  and singing. If he didn’t look at me  while singing I’d get extremely miffed.  Sometimes he used to call me on the stage to sing an African song that I knew.”

When Priyanka decided to participate in the Miss India contest she  was apprehensive of her father’s reaction. “We come from a very conservative family. All this glamour and showbiz was  very new to my dad. It was my mom who told him about my plans… I wasn’t willing to talk to him about it. Initially, he wasn’t convinced. But my mom and I reasoned that it was just a holiday in Mumbai and that I didn’t stand a chance in hell of winning. Who knew?! I had never modeled before. I had my portfolio done for the first time for the pageant. I thought myself as a very ugly  child. I saw myself  as an ugly duckling who’s one day turn into a swan. Before the pageant, I used to cry to my mom about how ugly  I was. Even now, it takes 90 minutes of hair clothes and makeup to make me look decent.”

She recalled, “After I won Miss India my mom   and I moved to Mumbai. Dad joined us later. And so did my brother. Dad has always been super-encouraging. We bought a house and started a  clinic for mom  and dad. They became practicing  doctors again. He later joined Leelavati as   managing director.” The  aura of happiness faded away. “His illness was a big blow. My dad always told me to keep working normally.  I’d never let him down by  letting the strain show. Now that he’s healing I feel grateful…. grateful that this trauma happened at a time when  I could afford his treatment. I’m so relieved I could afford the best treatment. If it had happened two years ago I wouldn’t have been able to do anything. I’ve always believed daughters care as much as sons, if not more. And even when they get married they continue to care a lot more for their parents. My mom has several sisters and my naani stays with all  of them.”