#54 Anjula Acharia, Manager to Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Investor, and Entrepreneur
A special LIVE episode
Welcome! I’m Simi Shah, and in this newsletter, I dive deep into the journeys of South Asian trailblazers. Find our podcast on Apple & Spotify and episodes/events on our Instagram & LinkedIn.
Special Live Podcast🎙️ Anjula Acharia — Manager to Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Investor, and Entrepreneur
In addition to elevating the stories of South Asian leaders, we are also dedicated to convening them. In this special edition of South Asian Trailblazers, I sat down with Anjula Acharia in front of a LIVE audience, bringing our community together in New York City.
Anjula Acharia is a legendary investor, entrepreneur, and manager/business partner to Priyanka Chopra Jonas. She is the CEO and Founder of A-series Investments and Management. Today, she works as a talent manager and strategic investor/advisor to a host of startups, including two early stage investments which eventually grew into unicorns: ClassPass and Bumble. Her extensive portfolio includes: The Muse, Hooked, Thrive Causemetics, Olipop, Gobble, and The Well. She also sits on BuzzFeed’s Board of Directors.
A serial entrepreneur herself, Anjula previously co-founded DesiHits!, a digital entertainment platform through which she pioneered the merging of global cultures by introducing artists like Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, and 50 Cent to India. She eventually returned the favor by launching esteemed actress, Priyanka Chopra Jonas' career in America, and who she continues to represent today.
Excerpts from this special live episode are below. If you're interested in attending future events, including our live podcasts, follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
This episode and event is brought to you in partnership with Free Agency, DesiGalli, Kahani Digital, Junglee, Rupee Beer, Tinto Amorio, Artist Lakshmi Sarkar, Shaz & Kiks, Wander Beauty, LŪVIH, Mudita Earth, Golden Hour Candle Co, and Silk & Sonder. Photo and video by MishMedia+ and Sanjida Ahmed.
Simi: You’ve often spoken about how you’ve visualized much of your life. That practice began when you were just 10-years-old and it helped you cope with the bullying and racism you experienced in your childhood. Can you share a little bit about that?
Anjula: I was quite shy growing up and I was quite introverted because of the experiences I had being bullied. So I would just sit in my bedroom for hours. I had a small bedroom because I was the youngest, so I always got the smallest room. But I would just sit on my windowsill, and I would listen to Michael Jackson on this small tape recorder. I would think about how he was like me…that he didn't have any real friends either, because people just wanted to be friends with him because he was famous. He didn't know who his real friends were, and I didn't know who my real friends were because I was ‘Brown,’ ‘Paki,’ or ‘colored’ — whatever people called me those days. But I remember looking up at the stars as I’d be listening. I would always look at the stars and think ‘those same stars are in Hollywood.’ And ‘one day, I'm gonna be there…in Hollywood.’ It's weird to me now to think about my life today and where I am now. But I literally would just sit there every night and look at those stars and visualize my life.
Simi: Now, eventually you begin to make these dreams reality. You move to Silicon Valley and begin building your own startup, DesiHits!, a multi-platform media company dubbed ‘the Desi MTV.’ Through this platform, you’re given the opportunity to try to introduce stars like Lady Gaga and Britney Spears to India. At the time, a lot of people told you it was too difficult to be done. What was your approach? Why did you think you could do it anyway?
Anjula: Through a series of events and destiny, I met Jimmy Iovine — the founder of Beats by Dre, Interscope Records, who discovered everyone from Eminem to 50 cent to U2. His list is endless. He became my mentor and my business partner, and he invested in my company. And he just saw something that honestly, I didn't see early on. I started working with him, and he opened the door to us working with all these artists from 50 to Britney to Gaga. He said something really interesting to me that actually plays more into when I wanted to bring Priyanka Chopra Jonas to America. I remember saying to somebody, ‘I want to bring this Bollywood star to America. Her name is Priyanka Chopra.’ And that person laughed. I went back to Jimmy because it made me insecure, and I said, ‘People are laughing about it. Do you think it's a bad idea?’ And he said, ‘Do you know that people laughed when I said I wanted to sign Eminem… a white rapper?’ He said, ‘I don't care if people laugh. If people laugh, it validates your idea. You're onto something.’ And there were so many stories like that he told me, which is why I always felt comfortable doing what felt good to me and trusting my instincts.
Simi: Eventually, you’re thrust into the role of Manager to Priyanka Chopra. You’d never had any previous experience managing talent before. How did that all come to pass?
Anjula: I had a label that ran through Interscope that Jimmy had given us, which was called DesiHits! Interscope. So I was a Label Head when she came over. At that time, Troy Carter was managing her. And I’d asked Troy to come in, because I was working with Lady Gaga, and I was launching her in Asia, and we had built this great relationship. And so, I asked him to come in and manage Priyanka. But quite frankly, as time evolved, Jimmy said, ‘Look, no one's ever going to care about her as much as you do. And no one's ever going to get the story more than you will, because you're a South Asian woman and this is your life. It's never going to be someone's life like it's your life.’ So he said, ‘You need to manage her. You have this vision, this fire. You have this dream, this goal. You should go for it. ’ And he said the same to Priyanka. So I did. And I never looked back. And it was very hard for many, many years.
Tune in to hear Anjula candidly discuss the adversity she faced growing up as South Asian woman in England, her journey to tech and Hollywood, and the wins and losses she faced along the way. Full episode on Apple, Spotify, or our website!