Showing posts with label Amrita Sher-Gil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amrita Sher-Gil. Show all posts
Priyanka Chopra films cameo in Mira Nair's biopic on Amrita Sher-Gil, Amri
11:32 PM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 27, 2026)
Three months after mid-day reported that filmmaker Mira Nair conducted a recce in Amritsar for ‘Amri’, we have more news on the biopic about the renowned Hungarian-Indian painter, Amrita Sher-Gil. Sources have told us that Priyanka Chopra will be seen in a special appearance and has shot her portions.
Nair has kept details about the project under wraps, including the principal cast. Little then is known about Chopra’s role in her first outing with Nair. However, industry chatter suggests that it’s not fleeting.
A source revealed, “The film aims to present the painter’s life across Hungary, India, and France. There was a specific part for which Mira had approached Priyanka last year, and she shot for it last week. The actor was in Hyderabad to finish some work on ‘Varanasi’. After that, she flew down to Amritsar and filmed for two days.”
mid-day reached out to Chopra’s team and Nair’s production team. Both didn’t respond till press time.
Mira Nair to kick off with a recce in Punjab to prepare for her next biopic on Amrita Sher-Gil
11:15 PM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 8, 2026)
It has been more than six years since Mira Nair’s last outing, A Suitable Boy (2020); and the filmmaker is finally gearing up for her next — a biopic on modernist painter Amrita Sher-Gil. The large-scale international production will kick off in Amritsar this week with a recce. Nair will base her unit in the city to shoot key portions for two months, until March, before the project moves to Europe for its second schedule.
Sources close to the production reveal that the international cast and crew will soon arrive in Punjab, while extensive logistical preparations are underway to recreate early 20th-century settings integral to Sher-Gil’s life.
“Right now it’s just recce. The shoot begins a bit later. Punjab is central to Amrita Sher-Gil’s story, and Mira wanted to begin the film on that note,” explains a source, adding that the director has been closely involved in scouting locations and detailing the period.
While casting details remain under wraps, industry buzz suggests the ensemble includes a mix of Indian and European actors.
Our source shares, “The casting has been locked after months of research and auditions, but Mira is deliberately keeping it quiet until filming is well underway.”
The film’s European schedule — expected to cover Hungary and France — will focus on Sher-Gil’s formative artistic years. An official announcement regarding the cast is expected later this year, once principal photography progresses.
Who was Amrita Sher-Gil?
Amrita Sher-Gil is often referred to as the ‘Indian Frida Kahlo’. Born in Budapest to a Punjabi Sikh father and a Hungarian mother, she spent her early years in Hungary and India before moving to Paris at 16 to study at the École des Beaux-Arts. She revolutionised Indian art by choosing to paint the everyday reality of the Indian poor and the internal lives of women with deep empathy.
Tabu in talks for extended cameo in Mira Nair’s biopic on Amrita Sher-Gil, titled Amri
10:27 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 11, 2025)
Things appear to be progressing swiftly on Mira Nair’s next, a biopic on acclaimed 20th century painter Amrita Sher-Gil. The buzz is that the filmmaker is in talks with Tabu to feature in an extended cameo in the biopic, tentatively titled ‘Amri’. If the actor comes on board, it will mark her third collaboration with Nair after ‘The Namesake’ (2007) and ‘A Suitable Boy’ (2020).
The biopic has been in development for years, with Nair first announcing it in 2020 right after the première of ‘A Suitable Boy’.
A source shares, “Mira Nair has previously spoken about spending four years persuading the market to back the period drama, which is set between 1915 and 1941, and spans India, Hungary, and France. The inclusion of a respected actor like Tabu will further up the ante.”
Even as there is ambiguity on who is playing the titular role, with Tanya Maniktala denying rumours of her being cast as the lead, casting for the film is reportedly scaling up. Word is that more than 15 actors from the Hindi film industry are expected to star in it. The ensemble will be locked by December, with Nair planning to roll the project by March 2026.
mid-day reached out to Tabu, who didn’t respond till press time.
Tanya Maniktala shifts from Delhi to Mumbai
10:07 AM
Actor Tanya Maniktala talks about the thrill of living independently for the first time after her recent move from Delhi
Akash Bhatnagar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 6, 2025)
akash.bhatnagar@partner.hindustantimes.com
Tanya Maniktala has been working in the industry for seven years, but she had been living in Delhi all this while and commuting back-and-forth for work. Now, just before Diwali, she finally moved to Mumbai and is currently busy settling in.
“I just thought that it’s time to get out of my comfort zone. Delhi is home but Mumbai has also given me so much warmth and welcomed me with open arms, so I thought it’s time to embrace it now and make the move,” she says.
While the actor admits that being in Delhi never hampered her work much, she did miss out on some last minute events and appearances: “Being in Delhi in the comfort of my home, I was getting a little more passive to these things, and I would let things slide. Now I am actively a part of everything that’s happening. I feel I am a lot more hands-on now.”
Getting to live on her own for the first time, makes Tanya feel ecstatic yet nervous. She says, “There are a lot of firsts happening and I’m so excited. They come with a lot of joy, and also some nervous moments. But I think I am in the company of good people and I’ve kind of got my foot in the door now,” adding, “I like having to look after myself because it also gives me a purpose, but I also miss being taken care of. Things like food were always ready for me, so learning everything from scratch has been fun, I’m enjoying the independence but missing the convenience.”
On the work front, Tanya is rumoured to be pairing up with actor Rajkummar Rao for a film, and talking to us, she confirms it, “Even though the project with Raj sir is not announced, the news is already out. It’s currently in the works. It’s not surreal, but I think I did not allow myself to imagine these kind of things could happen to me. Now that it’s working out, I am thankful to my lucky stars, although I also worked pretty hard for it. One day, it had to happen and I’m just glad I’m prepared for this opportunity that’s come my way.”
She also addressed reports of her replacing actor Ananya Panday in the Amrita Sher-Gil biopic, saying, “I have no idea where this piece of information has come from. We have no idea about the Amrita Shergil project, so, I don’t think I can comment on that.”
I am trying to convince the marketplace to let me make a film-Mira Nair
8:46 AM
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; March 6, 2025)
Though Mira Nair has homes in Delhi, Kampala, and New York, she admits that she feels the most rooted in Delhi. These cities, she says, have shaped her perspective. Speaking at a recent discussion on films and migration with Adil Hussain in the capital, Nair reflected on her storytelling, which often highlights the lives of those on the margins. Excerpts.
‘Right now, the situation is so horrific in the US that I need time to process it’
When asked if she would make The Namesake today, nearly 18 years later, with everything happening in the US, Mira said, “I’m sure I would,” adding, “But right now, we’re in such an immediate situation of completely unbelievable repatriation – if you could call it that. What is going on with the planes bringing back our people – it’s so shocking for me. But it needs time for me to brew it, to know what one would say about it. Because what I don’t want to do ever in my work is preach to the converted. You know, to say, ‘Haye haye! Itni buri khabar hai yeh.’ That’s not enough. You’ve got to lead people into a world, and while you take them into your world, you have to make them see the world anew. It’s not about preaching or giving a lecture. Right now, the situation is so horrific that I need time to process it to answer the question truthfully about whether I’d make a film about it. It will take some time.”
‘I am working 12 hours a day, trying to convince the marketplace to let me make a film’
In response to a question on how she deals with rejections and if she ever felt like giving up as a director, Mira said that rigour is the most important quality for those in arts. She said, “People think I am successful, but ask my assistant – I am working 12 hours a day, trying to convince the marketplace to let me make a film, and I’m going to make it. My next film is on Amrita Sher-Gil, the great painter, but it’s taken me four years. This is my fifth year. And in just about five months, I hope to shoot it. It’s not a very expensive film, but it’s a film that has to take place in Hungary, Paris, and India. It happened 100 years ago, so the period aspect comes with a cost. But it’s like – people over there or anywhere except India don’t even know who she is. They are like, ‘Why should we go to the theatres? Kaun hai yeh?’ I said, ‘Did you know about Frida Kahlo until her movie came out? It’s the same deal.’ And I am sure that even in the western world, Amrita will become an icon because she is beyond identity.”
‘I feel the most rooted in Delhi’
Mira said, “I never think of myself as a migrant; I never have. I feel that my roots are so strong that I can fly anywhere and be who I am. Of course, the experience of living between worlds has definitely shaped my being, my sensibilities, and my art. I still have an Indian passport, which is like an accordion of visas, but I was never interested in losing it. I don’t feel like an immigrant even now. The key for me is to feel engaged where I am.”
She added, “In these 35-40 years, I do have three very living homes – in Delhi, Kampala (Uganda), and New York City. I feel rooted, the most rooted, right here (in Delhi). It’s like grasping the sense of the world and having an expansive worldview is actually very humbling.”
Sonam Kapoor won’t play Amrita Sher-Gil anymore
7:50 AM
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; January 5, 2018)
Till date, Sonam Kapoor has been part of two biopics. One, where she played a small but impactful role of Biro in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and the other that was based on Neerja Bhanot’s life. But is she willing to do more biopics? The actress says, “Why not? There are so many interesting stories to tell, so many lives that have been lived. If something interesting comes up, I’ll do it for sure.”
Ask her to name someone she wants to play and she immediately responds. “Frida Kahlo because she motivates me in so many ways. I think she is extremely inspiring and her story is worth telling. I admire her immensely.”
That reminds us that there were initial talks of her playing painter Amrita Sher-Gil (who is called India’s Frida Kahlo) in a biopic, too. Last year, in an interview with After Hrs, the fashionista had confirmed the news and said, “Yes, I’ve been approached to play Amrita Sher-Gil; it’s a great role. I also have a keen interest in painting and not many know that I can actually paint well. So, let’s see what happens.”
However, now Sonam states that she is no longer a part of the project. “I’m not doing it anymore,” she tells us, without revealing any further details about why she opted out of it.
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