Exclusive: Priyanka Chopra made a career blunder with Baywatch?

The worst thing that can be done to a Hollywood franchise is to postpone its release in some countries. If Priyanka Chopra’s Hollywood debut Baywatch had released along with the rest of the world on May 25, the largely unfavourable international reviews would not have impacted its performance in India.

Not only is the movie getting horrible reviews, but the Indian release date is clashing with Wonder Woman on June 2. About Baywatch, Hollywood Reporter writes, “A big-screen reboot so lifeless and mechanical that even its end-credits outtakes are not amusing. Baywatch strains for a vulgarity that never comes remotely close to being funny. Unless you find the idea of Zac Efron manipulating a dead man’s genitals hysterical. “(Priyanka) Chopra preens and schemes like a vamp from Dynasty and the whole drugs-and-real-estate plot has a musty air of sub-Miami Vice intrigue — it’s closer to Starsky and Hutch. The trouble is that the movie plays it boringly straight.”

Going with a 1-star rating, The Guardian states, “Overshadowed by this alpha-male chest-off, the women are given thankless, almost interchangeable roles as love interests and swimsuit models... Even Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra, the underused villain of the piece, looks like she was contractually obliged to show as much flesh as permissible.”

While controversies about her much too revealing self would be the most stirring of all, there are some critics who found Priyanka’s character to be the only one engaging.

IGN.com talks about Priyanka, “The only other highlight is Priyanka Chopra as nefarious entrepreneur Victoria Leeds, who outshines pretty much anyone she’s in a scene with. Chopra is engaging and interesting and is the only character that speaks with any kind of distinctive cadence.” Is this a small consolation to a massive blunder in Priyanka’s career? We’ll find out soon enough!

Sources at the censor board admit they had a tough time dealing with the smut content of Baywatch. Says a source, “We were taken aback at how lurid the content is. Priyanka Chopra has never done anything so vulgar in Bollywood. Why change your morals for the West?”