The actress, 38, believes there is a ‘sense of cynicism’ among some members of her community and has felt picked on in the past.
Speaking on the BBC Asian Network’s Beyond Bollywood podcast, Priyanka was asked if she feels her South Asian fans are ‘protective’ of her because they have seen her career develop since the very beginning.
She said: ‘I do notice a sense of protectiveness from a lot of people but also a sense of cynicism from a lot of people and a sense of negativity from a lot of people. Picking on me for no reason.
‘I was talking about this to Mindy [Kaling] a couple of months ago. We were talking about, “why is it that you get so much negativity from your own community?”
‘Very few brown people are in the entertainment business, you can count us on your fingers. We’re trying to create more opportunity for people like us so why is there so much negativity for us?
‘When I started working in Hollywood I realised it’s not normal to people’s consciousness that a leading man or woman can be Indian in a mainstream Hollywood show.’
She added: ‘I’ve started noticing the difference between fans who know me and are protective of me and they are the wind beneath my wings. I also feel disheartened and discouraged by the other side.’
Priyanka was also asked about not using social media and being silent on certain issues which has been interpretation as ‘not caring’ by some fans.
She said: ‘You have to realise, the position that I find myself in is a no-win situation. When you speak, you become dinner table conversation.
‘There’s no point in discussing things that are not crucial enough. Second, I am a public person, I am an actor, but my job is not dependent on people’s opinions.
‘I have to focus on my work and be good at it and hope that people will enjoy it. I appreciate the support I have got but [I will not] go head on with people whose job is only to create toxicity.’
She added: ‘I am not an elected official. I am not someone who owes anyone an explanation but I will say that I do not trust the interpretation of my words at all.
‘Especially in a world where people are looking to find fault instead of giving someone a sense of encouragement.
‘I’m already doing something that is very daunting and I’m not just doing it for myself.’
Priyanka began her career in the spotlight when she was crowned Miss World in 2000 and made her Bollywood debut three years later.
Married to singer Nick Jonas, the actress is known for starring in ABC’s Quantico and has also appeared in Hollywood films including A Kid Like Jake and Isn’t It Romantic.
