Priyanka Chopra reveals Kottayam roots during 'Varanasi' Hollywood promotion

Priyanka Chopra’s unexpected ‘Kottayam connection’ became one of the standout moments at the Hollywood promotional event of the big-budget film 'Varanasi', drawing loud cheers from the Malayali audience. The revelation came during a conversation on Kalaripayattu, after Mahesh Babu steered the discussion towards Kerala while talking about his long-standing fascination with martial arts. Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj were interacting with Hollywood media outlet Screen Rant Plus.

As the discussion turned to the physical preparation for the film, Mahesh Babu spoke about training in Kalaripayattu for nearly six months to bring authenticity to his action sequences and even his running style. While describing the martial art as something truly special and suggesting that Prithviraj would be better placed to talk about it, the moment took an unexpected turn when Priyanka revealed her personal connection to the art form.

Priyanka shared that Kalaripayattu was not unfamiliar territory for her, pointing out that it was an art form rooted in her own family history. She revealed that her grandmother hails from Kottayam, a disclosure that visibly surprised both Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj and instantly struck a chord with Malayali viewers.

The conversation then shifted to food, with Mahesh Babu declaring his undying love for Hyderabadi chicken biryani without hesitation. Priyanka agreed that Hyderabad’s food scene was exceptional and that she enjoyed biryani too, but added that her real weakness lay in street food, especially chaats, which she described as her absolute favourite.

Prithviraj offered a broader perspective, noting that Indian cuisine, much like Indian cinema, cannot be reduced to a single definition. Having grown up in a coastal town in Kerala, he said seafood was a staple in his life and that rice and fish curry from his hometown remained his most cherished comfort food.

Returning to the subject of Kalaripayattu, Mahesh Babu elaborated on how the martial art helped improve his flexibility and made it easier to hold powerful physical poses on screen. He also spoke about undergoing track-and-field training for six months to alter his running style, despite the fact that only a couple of shots in the film required it. For him, the effort was about commitment rather than screen time.

He added that his preparation did not involve the kind of intense workshops people often imagine. Instead, it was a mix of athletic training, martial arts practice and studying visual references. At one point, the director even shared images of European sculptures with specific poses, which Mahesh recreated by pinning them across his study room and practising them repeatedly.

With candid conversations about food, martial arts and Priyanka’s Kerala roots coming together, the Varanasi promotional event ended up feeling less like a routine press interaction and more like a celebration that resonated strongly with Indian audiences.