Foreign-returned Desi Girl Priyanka Chopra made a flying visit to New Delhi on Tuesday to receive her Padma Shri from President Pranab Mukherjee.

On social media, the 33-year-old actress said it was a ‘proud moment’ for her.

Priyanka’s team tweeted a photo of her after she was awarded. On her own Twitter account, Priyanka wrote: “Such a proud moment. To be back in my country.. My capital.. Rashtrapati Bhavan & receiving the PadmaShri #blessed.”

India sees very little of Priyanka now.

Priyanka, who found global recognition with her character Alex Parrish in the American TV series “Quantico”, has been invited to the annual White House Correspondents Dinner with US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama later this month, along with names like Bradley Cooper, Lucy Liu, Jane Fonda and Gladys Knight.

The “Mary Kom” star expressed her doubts over attending the special dinner due to her tight schedule for “Quantico” as well as for her Hollywood debut “Baywatch”.

Priyanka Chopra and Rajinikanth with tennis player Sania Mirza during Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan on April 12(Photo: Amlan Paliwal)
Priyanka Chopra and Rajinikanth with tennis player Sania Mirza during Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan on April 12(Photo: Amlan Paliwal)

“Right now I am too busy with ‘Quantico’ and ‘Baywatch’. That’s why I am not sure if I will dine out with Obama. Not that I don’t want to, but I am not sure,” Priyanka told the media at an event here.

The actress recently wrapped the second season of her American TV show Quantico and will head back to USA to shoot Baywatch, the film version of the superhit TV show that made stars of actors like David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson.

Dwayne Johnson headlines the Baywatch movie, with Priyanka playing the antagonist.

At Tuesday’s Padma Shri ceremony, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth received the Padma Vibhushan, Baahubali director SS Rajamouli received the Padma Shri and singer Udit Narayan was awarded the Padma Bhushan.

The awardees include media baron Ramoji Rao, chairperson of Bennett, Coleman and Company Limited Indu Jain, Prof N.S. Ramanuja Tatacharya and Sania Mirza.

The President presented five Padma Vibhushan, 11 Padma Bhushan and 36 Padma Shri awards at the function.

By K. Dev