Priyanka Chopra's mother Madhu Chopra rubbishes rumours of actor's pregnancy, attributes bulge seen in pictures to her 'slumped posture'
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; February 19, 2019)

Priyanka Chopra Jonas set tongues wagging when she attended the recent New York Fashion Week. Dressed in checkered separates from designer Michael Kors' line, Chopra — otherwise envied for her washboard abs — appeared to flaunt a belly bulge. It took only a few pictures from the gala for fans worldwide to start speculating if the actor and husband Nick Jonas were in the family way.

The actor's mother, Madhu Chopra, who is currently promoting their next production, Firebrand, doesn't understand the hullabaloo around the pictures. "It was a bad angle," she asserts, dismissing rumours of pregnancy. While some fans wondered if the bulge was simply a case of an ill-fitted skirt, Madhu says, "The outfit was nice. She looked like that only in some pictures, the rest were fine. Blame it on the camera angle!"

The star mother goes on to add that Priyanka was far from amused when she heard the chatter around her supposed pregnancy. "When I spoke to Priyanka on the phone, she told me that she was tired and hence, had a slumped posture. I told her what people were saying, and she simply said, 'Mamma, give me a break!'"

She is glad when the conversation steers towards Priyanka's real baby — her production house, Purple Pebble Pictures. Directed by veteran filmmaker Aruna Raje, their latest offering is slated to drop on Netflix on February 22. Considering the multi-lingual marks the studio's web debut, Madhu says Priyanka has been thoroughly involved with the project. "Priyanka runs the production house from whichever part of the world she is in."

Initially, they had thought of releasing the film in theatres. "But when we saw the first cut, we thought it needed a bigger audience. It will stream in over 100 countries."

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 8, 2018)

Having noticed the gender inequality prevalent in Indian cinema, Priyanka Chopra and her mother Madhu Chopra have initiated changes in their production house, Purple Pebble Pictures. Insiders from the banner suggest that the duo is focusing on roping in more women artistes for their upcoming projects to create a gender-neutral workplace, with equal importance to pay parity.

In their bid to support pay equity, Priyanka’s studio, Purple Pebble Pictures, has included a rider in the contracts of their artistes clearly stating that gender won’t be one of the determining factors in their remuneration.

Madhu Chopra asserts that the inclusion of women in the production house isn’t restricted to direction or acting. “We have women story writers, directors and camera technicians. So in every aspect of filmmaking, we are encouraging women. Although I would reiterate that we give equal opportunity, there is a certain bias towards women at the moment because they are marginalized and we have to give them an additional push.”

Ask her about pay equity and she says that they are creating a setup where lead actors of projects will be paid at par, irrespective of their gender. “The pay scale is determined by the merit, qualification and talent. So there are different parameters, but gender is definitely not one of them. We believe in gender equality and that applies to remuneration too.”

Priyanka is also keen on backing more women-oriented stories helmed by women filmmakers. While their recently wrapped-up film Firebrand has National Award winner Aruna Raje at the helm, the studio’s last offering — the Sikkimese film Pahuna: The Little Visitors — was directed by Paakhi Tyrewala.

Madhu adds, “Female-centric stories make the most impact on people. Everyone knows that women are strong enough to be talked about. The impact that I am expecting [from these developments] is that women will rise from where they have been put and walk shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 8, 2018)

Priyanka Chopra’s fortnight-long holiday in India last month saw her do it all — from delivering a spectacular act at an awards gala to attending a special UNICEF conference in Delhi to enjoying some family time. Now, we’ve learnt that the actor also took some time out during her recent visit to zero in on her next production.

After producing the National Award-winning Marathi film Ventilator in 2016 followed by Kay Re Rascala (2017), Chopra has greenlit another Marathi project — Firebrand. The drama will be helmed by Aruna Raje, who has previously directed socially relevant films like Rihaee (1988) and Gehrayee (1980), besides bagging National Awards for her documentaries.

A source close to the actor tells mid-day, “Priyanka was sold on the story when she first read it, few months ago. During her visit last month, she worked with Aruna on the final draft of the script, giving her inputs wherever necessary.”

The drama that goes on floors today features seasoned actors like Usha Jadhav, Girish Kulkarni, Sachin Khedekar and Rajeshwari Sachdev. While Jadhav plays a successful lawyer, Kulkarni essays the role of her architect husband. Khedekar and Sachdev play another couple in the film that revolves around contemporary relationships.

Raje says, “I’m glad that Priyanka and Madhu Chopra are focussing on regional cinema.” Madhu Chopra says that after Ventilator, the production house was keen on producing another film that was rich in human emotions. “The acceptance of Ventilator reinstated my faith in backing scripts that have high emotional values and are entertaining.”