New Delhi: Two days after the internet dubbed Priyanka Chopra Jonas as the “Daal Gadot” following her Oscars appearance, the Indian actor has landed on the 33rd edition of National Geographic magazine as a “changemaker”.
“Daal Gadot” is a subversive reference to Israeli actor Gal Gadot, who has publicly expressed support for Israel during the war in Gaza.
The magazine’s latest March edition honoured 33 individuals who have worked on global issues, climate change, social justice, and science to make the world a better place. Along with Jonas, Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt was also featured in the “global star campaign on health equity”.
“At National Geographic, we’re inspired by the idea that people driven by a shared commitment to improving the world can have an enormous impact. And we’ve held that conviction since 1888, when our 33 founders came together to reimagine how we encounter and understand our planet,” the magazine wrote.
Priyanka’s urges Indians to fight diabetes
The Baywatch actor first encountered Type 1 diabetes after meeting her husband, singer and actor Nick Jonas, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 13. The actor told the magazine that after they married, she would conscientiously monitor her husband.
“I used to wake up in the middle of the night sometimes just to see if he was breathing,” she told the magazine.
She spoke about diabetes as an epidemic in India. Talking about her upcoming Telugu-language action-adventure film Varanasi, the actor is working on a campaign to encourage people in the country to identify the first symptoms of diabetes and how to navigate it.
The actor also reflected on her childhood and how it shaped her as a person. Growing up, the Quantico actor spent a lot of time at the hospital because both her parents were doctors. She never wanted to become a doctor, but Chopra said that one experience assisting her parents in rural India, helped her to “recognize that where you’re born really changes the trajectory of your life.”
She also spoke at length about Nick Jonas’s co-founded organisation Beyond Type 1, which launched its education campaign about Type 1 in India last December. She pointed to the lack of awareness among Indians about diabetes, even if the country has the highest number of children and teens with Type 1 in the world.
National Geographic’s issue comes at a time when Chopra has been receiving flak on social media for not talking about the killings of Palestinian children as the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, an organisation working for children’s rights. This was triggered by her awkward smile and nodding at the Oscar ceremony when Spanish actor and Oscar winner Javier Bardem said from the stage, “No to war and free Palestine”.
Also read: Priyanka Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan don’t owe us their political opinion
Alia Bhatt, Idris Elba, Harrison Ford and more
The personalities featured in the magazine addressed different global issues. While Bhatt shared her work on animal welfare, actor Idris Elba and his wife and model Sabrina Elba emphasised transforming the entire West African Island.
Alia Bhatt has widely spoken about animal welfare and conservation. In a 31-second video, the Gully Boy actor talks about “planning, patience and shared responsibilities”.
She spoke about her childhood when she and her sister Shaheen, would bring cats home. Taking care of the cats opened her heart early to animals.
“I was in this position where I started to question whether my voice had quality,” she said. “I said, OK, let me go to something that I feel very passionate about. And that is animals,” she told Nat Geo.
Through films, children’s books, and various other projects, the 33-year-old actor is working toward creating a better space for animals.
“Animal welfare to me is about recognising that humans and animals are just navigating the same landscape. So just when we design spaces more thoughtfully with protected habitats, safe passages and informed communities, conflicts also reduce,” she said.
Last year, the magazine released an issue in March featuring artists and activists who addressed issues affecting communities. Actor Selena Gomez, Michelle Yeoh, Jason Momoa, Adam McKay, and more.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)