Priyanka Chopra on ‘Varanasi’: says 'I’m phonetically memorizing my words'; calls Telugu improvisation 'super tough'

Priyanka Chopra Jonas will be seen in the upcoming Telugu film, SS Rajamouli’s ‘Varanasi’, featuring Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran. Recently, the ‘The Bluff’ actor shared her experience working in a language she does not speak while preparing for the film.

For her, the challenge is not the scale or spectacle, but the language itself.

Learning Telugu the phonetic way

During an interview with Cinemablend, Priyanka Chopra Jonas said, “I don't know if I am learning the language yet. I'm phonetically memorizing my words and saying them. So, I can pick up like yes, Telugu is not a language I understand or speak.” She is not learning Telugu in a normal way but remembering sounds to get her lines right.

Improvisation adds more challenge

The ‘Quantico’ actor also explained that improvising is even harder.

She said, “But yeah, that's super tough to, you know, especially if you have to improvise on set, like I have no idea how to improvise back with him in the language that's this mother tongue, you know?” Every time she improvises, she needs extra time to understand the words and say them correctly.

SS Rajamouli guides her on set

She also credited director SS Rajamouli for helping her. “I really rely on our director, S S Rajamouli to help me with what that is.

He'll phonetically come and say it to me.” She explained that when improvisation comes, she takes “like ten minutes to kind of memorize it, understand what the tone is, understand what each word means, and then say it in my own way.” She called it “an added layer of performance,” which makes her think deeply about emotion, rhythm, and intent. She added, “Which I have done in the past. But yes, it’s not easy. But I love a challenge so that's good.”‘Varanasi’ marks Priyanka Chopra’s much-awaited return to the Indian cinema and she is making it grand.The film is set to hit the big screens on April 7, 2026.