BEAUTY & GROOMING

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is bridging the gap between her and global dominance at a sublime speed

By Ria Bhatia

10 November, 2022

We’re convinced that it’s PCJ’s world and we’re just living in it, courtesy of her unstoppable force

The universe is diverse. Different people surprise you in different ways. But then, there are the accomplishers—more like real-life overachievers—whose ways simply can’t be put into words, even if you try hard. We’re talking about Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who, now, boasts a remarkable trajectory of success across the globe. “I’m destiny’s other favourite child besides Beyoncé,” she told Byrdie in 2020, a year before her haircare line, Anomaly and restaurant chain, Sona (in New York City) saw the light of day. And yet, she continues to declare that this is just the beginning. “The globe is my stage,” she added, which echoed her unstoppable force.  

Strongly attached to her Indian roots and happily committed to Western culture, Chopra Jonas is a solid, smart and successful embodiment of both. We know how this story started—hailing from Bareilly, the quadragenarian was just 18 years old when she won the Miss World pageant in 2000 and the showbiz world was quick to prophesy a bright future. However, no one, besides Chopra Jonas, could’ve envisaged the paramount success that she’s owning at present. Besides an incredible filmography , she’s thriving as an entrepreneur of flourishing brands that correctly target the most booming industries —beauty and culinary among others. In an in-depth chat with The Established, she talks about her take on the many different hats that she wears and also tells us why we’ll fall in love with Anomaly (exclusively available at Nykaa).

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"The first thing that came to mind when I thought about creating these products was that the packaging has to be sustainable," says Priyanka Jonas Chopra

How does it feel to come home to India after three years? How is this trip different for you? 

There’s no better feeling than returning to my home country after three years and bringing my haircare brand Anomaly personally to India. I’m very excited! More so because it’s always been a part of my dream for the brand. It’s even more special because this brand was born here—from the haircare routines I followed growing up. We built it on the idea that great hair starts with great care, something I learned from my mom and grandmom during regular oiling, deep cleaning and conditioning routines. 

How do you juggle commitments and engagements across the globe?

You never stop; you keep going! That’s always been my mantra. It’s a wild ride, but I love it, so it comes naturally to me.

Anomaly was created to democratise beauty, says the actor

Anomaly is affordable, cruelty-free and vegan and the packing is sustainable

What excites you more—acting or entrepreneurship?

Both are equally exciting and challenging. Being an actor is different from being an entrepreneur. I am still learning—it’s a really different and very exciting field. Business is as creative as my job has been.

You have a remarkable acting career. What motivated you to make the jump to entrepreneurship?

Technically, I’ve always been in the entertainment business—we’re making movies, and people are buying tickets; it’s a business, right? But over time, as I started learning a lot more, I realised that the beauty industry is very intertwined with the entertainment industry. I started meeting more people, and business was just something I took to. I started my production company first, which was my first taste of entrepreneurship. I then invested in a few brands and tested the waters while looking for gaps in the market and figuring out what I wanted to do. I’ve realised that ideas are truly the currency of the present.

How do you switch off from certain projects once they are done or do you prefer to stay on top of everything at once? Tell us about your management process. 

I talk work and talk shop. I have learned a lot from my peers; I am new to the business side of beauty. I look up to founders, co-founders and people that have done this before. I am like a sponge; I love knowledge.

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"I created the Hair & Scalp Oil for both purposes—a champi and a daily dose of nourishment for your ends," says Chopra Jonas

How is Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the actor, different from Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the entrepreneur?

I would say not very different, yet quite different. As an actor, I’m more creative and as an entrepreneur, I’m more analytical. 

“I TALK WORK AND TALK SHOP. I HAVE LEARNED A LOT FROM MY PEERS; I AM NEW TO THE BUSINESS SIDE OF BEAUTY. I LOOK UP TO FOUNDERS, CO-FOUNDERS AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE. I AM LIKE A SPONGE; I LOVE KNOWLEDGE”
Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Anomaly has been built on the idea that great hair starts with great care

Chopra Jonas says that the Indian consumer preferences have evolved

The beauty market is booming—with Indian-origin founders, celebrities and younger Gen Z entrepreneurs joining. What made you choose the haircare segment over make-up, skincare or wellness? 

While the beauty market is booming, I don’t feel we are late to the party. Hair has always been close to me since I was a kid, and after pursuing an acting career, it has played an important role, right from styling products to heating tools being used. That’s when I thought about how I’d like to take care of my hair—by starting something of my own and sharing it with the audience.

Why Anomaly— what makes it unique?

During the lockdown, I had time to sit and think about things that interested me and what I could do in that space. I had always been conscious of beauty as a category. So I started to think about what the gap in the market was, and the gap I found was that of products with superior formulas at affordable prices that are also environmentally conscious. That’s how Anomaly was born. We built the brand on the idea that great hair starts with great care. With this in mind, and alongside my partners at global beauty incubator Maesa, we developed a collection of products formulated with powerful and effective ingredients that love your hair from the root to the tip. Anomaly was created to democratise beauty, by making it affordable and yet having a superior product that you would pay four times more for otherwise.

How does Anomaly stand out in a space flooded with other classic Ayurvedic and new-age haircare brands?

Anomaly, as the name suggests, is unique. It is sustainable, affordable, cruelty-free and vegan; it has everything your hair needs so that trifecta sets it apart. Moreover, our packing is sustainable; we make sure to reuse the plastic, which helps save a lot on packaging costs! 

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"Hair has always been close to me since I was a kid, and after pursuing an acting career, it has played an important role, right from styling products to heating tools being used," says the actor

The minimal and clean packaging of every Anomaly product is a definite standout, and you speak a lot about it too. What should our readers know about the packaging efforts?

The first thing that came to mind when I thought about creating these products was that the packaging has to be sustainable. We make sure every plastic bottle is reused so that we can save on the production costs and simultaneously protect the environment. We’re seeing consumers worldwide starting to care about this as they want to shop for something that is good for them and not harmful to the earth. 

How do you and your team develop formulations that capture the attention of audiences across the globe alike?

We've made sure that the formulations are such that they suit every hair type, are gender-neutral, work for most weather conditions and can be used anywhere in a carefree manner.

"My goal for Anomaly is to make it a household name for haircare in the next three years and make it available worldwide," says the actor

The formulations suit every hair type, are gender-neutral, and work for most weather conditions

What’s the one haircare tip that’s been your go-to?

My family was particular about hair care—and coconut oil was all we needed. The best hair care tip will always be to oil your hair by using a good champi, which helps to get healthier hair. Strangely, I didn’t know much about oiling the ends of your hair every day; we usually do it weekly in India. It’s the opposite in the United States. They prefer oiling their ends, so I created the Hair & Scalp Oil for both purposes—a champi and a daily dose of nourishment for your ends.

What’s next for Anomaly?

When it comes to Anomaly’s positioning in the Indian market, it is interesting because of the way consumer preferences have evolved here. We offer great value for money; all the products are available at ₹ 1,000, which, we believe, is a great offer for a specific target audience that is already spending this much (or more) on beauty. My goal for Anomaly is to make it a household name for haircare in the next three years and make it available worldwide. When it comes to my other businesses, I intend to expand my portfolio as an entrepreneur, an investor and as a founder. It will be very exciting to see the growth of Sona Home, Sona New York and luxury sportswear label Perfect Moments, and where the business side of my career is going to go in the next few years.

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