Priyanka Chopra on married life, films she wants to make and finally accepting her father’s loss
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 25, 2019)

Early in the afternoon, Priyanka Chopra glides into Film City studio like a beam of sunshine and straightaway gets down to business. Excerpts from an interview:

Three years after Prakash Jha’s cop-drama Jai Gangaajal, you have another Hindi film coming up with The Sky Is Pink. How does it feel to be back to your first love, Bollywood?
It’s still my love. I couldn’t do a Hindi film earlier because three seasons of Quantico took up 11 months of a year and I just didn’t have the time or bandwidth. I love the new-wave films being made and how people are reacting to them. As a filmmaker and an actor who likes to do different things, I have a choice and was able to pick a film like The Sky Is Pink.

The film deals with the subject of loss. What drew you to it?
What moved me about this film was its take on family, relationships and loss. Indian culture teaches us to stay together as a family through all trials and this film underlines this even through the loss of a child. Instead of mourning death, Shonali (Bose, director) chooses to celebrate life. My mother, brother and I also agreed not to remember the last few moments before my dad passed away. We remember the man, his spirit and laughter, how he brought families together. Death is inevitable, yet we are afraid of it. Shonali changed my perspective through this film, healed me.

Shonali said recently that during a scene, you couldn’t stop crying even after she called “Cut”. Did it remind you of someone who is long gone?
In that particular scene Zaira’s (Wasim) character Aisha (Chaudhary) decides she’s not going to go in for surgery to extend her life because she doesn’t want to be bed-ridden for the rest of her life. My character Aditi agrees with the decision, but as Aisha’s mother during the scene, I kept thinking about what it must be like to lose a child. So, I just held Shonali and kept saying I was sorry she had to go through this, I couldn’t stop crying. You can empathise with the loss, but won’t really understand the feeling unless you have a child of your own. As a director’s actor, I spoke a lot to Shonali; I also spent a lot of time with Aditi Chaudhary (Aisha’s real mother) in London. The beauty of this film is that every family can relate to it because it’s about normal people with normal problems but extraordinary will.

Tell us about one such conversation with Shonali?
It was during a shoot in Delhi… We sat on a park bench and spoke for an hour. I was about to get married and was missing my dad. We had to shoot a difficult scene as well but we didn’t touch on it, just processed the loss. My dad had been ill and I knew it would happen but it was still painful. We spoke about the inevitability of loss and by the time we went back to the shoot, she didn’t even need to direct me.

Your on-screen daughter Zaira recently announced her retirement from acting, stating that her career was coming in the way of her religion. What do you think of her decision?
It’s a personal choice. Who are we to dictate what someone should and shouldn’t do? She is an amazing actor who has done incredible work. We will always wish her the best.

She has not been a part of the promotions, have you connected with her since her announcement?
I’ve spoken to her many times, but not about her decision to quit films. That’s none of my business. She’s an amazing artiste but maybe it was time for her…

In a recent interview, you spoke about wanting to have a baby. What is the one thing you really want to experience as a mother in real life?
The only thing I pray and wish for is a healthy child who can live life to the fullest.

What kind of a father will Nick Jonas make?
We will find out. It’s a hypothetical question about a hypothetical future.

Okay, what’s Nick like as a husband?
I can only relate to what I saw with my parents’ marriage. That was a marriage of equals, there was a lot of mutual respect and admiration. Nick and I have that too. He is the most considerate man I’ve ever met. In everything he does, Nick puts me first. It’s wonderful to wake up every day and know that there is this person who thinks about you even before you think about yourself. That’s eventually what you want, someone who loves you like a hug.

Did you see your dad in him?
The more I get to know him, yes. I feel I have married someone who is my dad’s chhavi. Not just the music, they are both very stable, solid, rooted and dependable.

Has Priyanka, as a person, changed much after the wedding?
(Laughs) I’ve become nicer and happier. This is the most content I’ve been in a really long time and full credit to my husband who is a calming presence while I run a million miles a minute. We are like each other’s Yin and Yang, that’s what you want to find in your partner.

What is your usual day in Los Angeles like?
We don’t have one as both of us travel a lot. Right now, we are based in New York a lot more than LA. When we have a day off, we don’t access our phones, just grab lunch, chat for hours, watch a movie, take Diana (their pet) for a walk… Nick loves walking in NY and I’m trying to learn how to do that since I’m not much of a walker. But there is something romantic about it, apparently.

What’s happening on the work front in the US?
I’ve just wrapped up a kiddie superhero movie with (director) Robert Rodriguez. It also has Pedro Pascal, Christian Slater and a bunch of other actors and 11 kids. Then, there’s the adapation of the book, The White Tiger and a romcom with Mindy Kaling inspired by my own wedding which I’m producing. I’m a huge fan and when I met her for lunch, we started talking about my wedding, her relationship with India and the story just came out from there. It’s a buddy comedy between two girls and travels from the US to India for an enormous wedding like mine. We are still writing that one. I’m also in talks for an American TV show but can’t divulge details. I’m producing two other TV shows in the US too but won’t be acting in them.

What’s happening with the show on Madhuri Dixit’s life in Denver?
We were developing that, but I don’t know what’s the status on it. It was a sitcom inspired from MD’s life, an Indian actor who moves to the US and what happens next.

Madhuri’s back in the Bay. Do you miss Mumbai?
Of course, I do, but I come back every two-three months because I have a home and work here. So, it’s not like I’m really gone. But I miss the city when I am away. Today I had fresh idlis after three months and it was a great start to my morning.

You are house-hunting in Los Angeles, we’re told...
Yup, we sold our house and are looking for another one. My work dictates my life in both countries so it’s important to have a base in India and the US. It will be Nick and my first home together and that makes it exciting.

Your brother Siddharth has reportedly found love again in South Indian actress Neelam Upadhyay…
Like I said with Zaira, I don’t speak about other people’s life because it’s not my business. You should ask him when you meet him next.

After you stepped out of Bharat, buzz was Salman Khan got upset and took jibes at you while promoting the film. Have you spoken to him since?
The only thing I’d say is that if there was a reaction required you’d have had it by now. Salman is amazing. I’ve always admired him. He came for Nick and my reception, we went to his house, I’m really close to his sister (Arpita Khan). So, there’s never an issue with him.

After Dil Dhadakne Do you’ve reunited with Farhan Akhtar for The Sky Is Pink. Can we hope to see you return with Don 3?
You will have to ask the producers that. No one has spoken to me about it, it’s been almost 10 years.

With this film you’ve made your debut as a Hindi film producer. Any plans to revive the Kalpana Chawla biopic?
I don’t believe in projects, I believe in stories. We are working on the script, when it’s ready, we will green-light it.

Meanwhile you’re playing Ma Anand Sheela in a film adaptation of a 2018 documentary on the Rajneesh cult…
That’s another script we are developing. I am doing it with Barry Levinson who directed Rain Man. I will be producing it.

Buzz is, another favourite director of yours, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, has approached you for his dream project, Gangubai, one of the mafia queens of Mumbai. Simultaneously, it’s also been reported that Alia Bhatt is doing the film.
I have no idea. I haven’t signed a Hindi film yet because the two I’m doing in the US and the one I’m starting next year, are taking up my time. Now, it’s time to go shopping for the next film I’d want to do. I wanted to finish The Sky Is Pink first. I’m a fan of Sanjay Bhansali in whatever he makes, I’ll always be his fan.