There is no textbook case study for an actor, especially for one who left India at the peak of her career to relaunch herself in the US
Aseem Chhabra (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 21, 2019)

In January 2018, Priyanka Chopra traveled to the Sundance Film Festival for the world premiere of director Silas Howard’s film A Kid Like Jake, a story about a four-year-old transgender kid — Jake, who prefers to dress up in girls’ clothes and play with dolls. The film stars Clare Danes, Jim Parsons, Octavia Spenser and Chopra in a brief role of an Indian mother, whose son is friends with Jake.

Chopra’s role was less than 15 minutes long, and it led Variety’s critic to write that even though she had a charming presence, she “slips in and out of the movie without having a compelling reason to be in it”.

The Variety critic made an important point.

In December 2014, when Chopra signed a one-year development deal with ABC network, she stated that she expected to get the kind of work which would give her the same position as she had in India — that of a leading star and actress. And the ABC show Quantico did just that. The show may not have been a favourite with critics and it slowly began to lose its audience, but it was the first time an Indian actress was playing a lead role in an American network’s prime time show.

But post-Quantico (the show was canceled after its truncated Season 3 and its last episode was broadcast on August 3, 2018), Chopra seems to be searching for an answer to where she should take her career next?

A large part of Chopra’s life in the last year was determined by her brief romance, followed by the big fat wedding to the young pop singer Nick Jonas. Her daily postings on Instagram — images of the married couple interlocked in romantic poses, reach her 43 plus million followers, and continue to build the Priyanka Chopra brand. Social media keeps her connected with her fans, especially those in India, and it has been so since her last Bollywood film — Jai GangaaJal was released in March 2016.

So adept she is with social media that she continues to rule the top position of The Hollywood Reporter’s Top Actors’ Social Media Climbers chart.

Earlier this year, Chopra launched an Oprah Winfrey-like inspirational YouTube show — If I Could Tell You Just One Thing. The plan was that in each episode she would talk to women who were high achievers and discuss their lives, the choices they made.

The first episode was posted on March 8, 2019 — International Women’s Day — where Chopra interviewed fashion icon Diane von Fürstenberg, US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, and Asian rapper and actress Awkwafina. The episode has 4.7 million views, but since March, Chopra has not posted a second episode.

“I’m in my mid-thirties,” Chopra says in the trailer for the show. “I am trying to figure out where I go next. Getting married really made me think about what [my] next chapter is.”

In the trailer, Chopra showed an honest side to her. She did not have to speak out openly that she was contemplating her next move. But there has always been a degree of honesty in her.

One cannot imagine someone like Deepika Padukone or Katrina Kaif give interviews, where they reflect on what to do next. And they do not need to. They continue acting in films, travel, do modeling gigs and seem quite satisfied with the choice they made a while back — to act in Bollywood films and along the way become stars.

But Chopra continues to wade through unchartered waters. There is no textbook case study for an actress, who left India at the peak of her career with films like Bajirao Mastani and Dil Dhadakne Do (both released in 2015) to start a career in the US.

There was no compulsion for her to leave India. But once she chose to act in an American television show, she had to stay in the US for long periods. That meant missing acting opportunities in India.

She did get some work in the US besides Quantico.

The 2017 reboot of the hit TV show Baywatch (right) was the most prominent of the three films she acted in the US. But Baywatch was pretty flat and dull. It was never clear why the film’s producers decided to revive an old television show when the images of sexy women and men running on a beach seem quite dated. To Chopra, the Baywatch project must have appeared exciting and she seemed to enjoy playing the mean Victoria Leeds. Unfortunately, there was hardly any word of praise for her in the Western press. In Sundance, Chopra was asked by Deadline.com why she acted in A Kid Like Jake? And she came up with an impressive answer that what drives her as an artist is fighting for onscreen representation and playing characters that defy societal expectations. It is a noble idea, but one wonders if that would actually be the key goal for a big Bollywood star to leave everything behind and play small supporting roles in Hollywood films?

This February, Chopra’s third film — Isn’t It Romantic opened in theaters in the US. The musical comedy stars Australian actors Rebel Wilson and Liam Hemsworth.

Once again Chopra makes a brief appearance in the film, playing a gorgeous model who shows up in Wilson’s long drawn-out dream sequence, where the characters even break into songs and dances. Having mastered the art of dancing in Bollywood films, Chopra is undoubtedly the best among the rest of the actors in the film. But why she chose to be in a film that gave her just about 12 minutes of screen time is anyone’s guess.

Incidentally, all three of Chopra’s Hollywood films are streaming on Netflix India, but are not available on Netflix’s US version. Does Netflix believes that Chopra’s fan following is still bigger in India? Sure, the company is right. But will her Indian fans watch A Kid Like Jake or Isn’t It Romantic even when she has tiny roles in the two films?

I am not certain about that.

As it often happens with actors, there were a few projects Chopra was exploring in the last year that did not materialise. Due to her impending marriage, Chopra decided not to act in Bharat. There was word that Chopra was set to produce a sit-com based on the life of Madhuri Dixit, while the star lived in the US. But that show did not go beyond the pilot. And a film based on the life of the late astronaut Kalpana Chawla also did not take off. It is said that Chawla’s husband refused to sell her life story to Chopra.

Chopra’s career is still managed by her friend Anjula Acharya and Grubman Shire. But recently Team Priyanka Chopra took a major decision to reboot her flagging career.

Last month, she changed her talent agency — from William Morris Endeavor to United Talent Agency. She joined WME in 2015, after working with Creative Artists Agency for three years. The strategic decision means there could be more projects coming her way.

In the last year she has shot one Indian film (her first since Jai GangaaJal) — director Shonali Bose’s The Sky Is Pink with Farhan Akhtar. Given Bose’s reputation and connection with the Toronto International Film Festival, the film could premiere there in September. Penguin Random House is scheduled to publish Chopra’s book Unfinished this year. Now there are reports Chopra will join Mindy Kaling to produce and star in an untitled wedding comedy which will be set in India.

Priyanka Chopra still has enough balls up in the air and so this much is certain: She will surely surprise us soon enough.

It is too early to write her off.

Meena Iyer (DNA; July 30, 2018)

Priyanka Chopra’s exit from Salman Khan’s Bharat has been discussed and dissed. And director Ali Abbas Zafar’s tweet suggesting that she did it at the ‘nick of time’, was perceived as the actress citing her ‘engagement’ for leaving the film. However, gossip mills offer several versions for this out-of-the-ordinary behaviour of the otherwise professional star.

PC SHOT FOR A FILM A FEW DAYS AFTER HER FATHER PASSED AWAY
A producer points out that an engagement, or for that matter even a marriage, can’t be the reason for Priyanka to exit a film at the last minute. He says, “PC is extraordinarily professional. I remember she shot for a film, just a few days after her father (Dr Ashok Chopra) passed away in 2013. She was devastated by his death, yet she didn’t cancel the shoot. So, to say that she is opting out of a film at the nth hour, stating her engagement as a reason, seems a bit out of place.”

SHE WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THE PRICE SHE WAS BEING PAID
After Hrs had told you on many occasions that the actress has been reportedly asking for anything between a whopping Rs 13-14 cr as her remuneration. However, in the case of Bharat, she was allegedly being paid Rs 6.5 cr. Yet, she seemed unhappy with this arrangement. An insider says that PC brought up this subject with her close friend within the Khan family. However, the price she was to be paid was deliberated and decided on after checking the viability factor. After all, even her last outing Jai Gangaajal (2016) wasn’t anything to write home about. And paying her the double-digit figure, which she was reportedly asking for, would not be prudent.

LAST-MINUTE ADDITIONS TO THE CAST
One theory being widely floated is that Priyanka was unhappy with the sudden additions to the cast. When she was signed on, there were no mentions of youngsters like Disha Patani and Nora Fatehi being a part of the ensemble. Of course, she was aware that other actresses were yet to be cast. But that it would be someone as young as Disha, who also got her fair share of publicity for bagging a role in Bharat, was something she hadn’t anticipated. PC, according to our source, needed to condition her mind to accept these additions.

SALMAN AND PC ARE STAR-CROSSED
Salman and Priyanka haven’t worked together after God Tussi Great Ho (2008). Also, on a personal level, a midnight meeting between the two in 2012 had become a topic of hot discussion. And Salman, at that point, was slightly irritated because he ‘wondered’ how the news got out in the first place! Any guesses?

Even this time, Salman is reportedly not amused. One cannot blame him. After all, he had several leading ladies who were ready to be a part of this prestigious project. But he chose PC over them. Naturally, her opting out left him slightly red-faced. One hears he wished her well for her engagement and marriage but...

ALI ABBAS ZAFAR FELT LET DOWN, TOO
Never mind what he said on social media, apparently Ali, who shares a warm friendship with PC since their Gunday days, was most certainly taken aback with her behaviour. On Wednesday (July 25) when PC spoke to him and Salman, the superhit filmmaker reportedly told her that he had ‘put his neck on the line’ for her in this particular scenario and now he was certainly disappointed.

RARING TO GET HITCHED
Piggy Chops is definitely looking to get hitched. The fact that 25-year-old composer, singer, actor Nick Jonas loves her to distraction is helping. She is said to have told certain people close to her that she is 36 now and was looking to get married.

Coming back to the engagement being the reason for her exit, there are those in Bollywood who feel it’s a rather lame excuse. Girls like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Anushka Sharma and Sonam K Ahuja are doing super well after their shaadi. “It’s silly to even suggest that marriage should be a reason for exiting a film so abruptly. This coming from Priyanka, who has made headlines for her emancipated thought process, is quite lame,” says a source.

We got in touch with Priyanka’s spokesperson, who didn’t have a comment at this point of time.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; June 28, 2017)

British-Indian composer Anoushka Shankar, who’s collaborating with Indian artistes, said in a recent interview that the West is collaborating a lot with India because they have realised Indians are extremely talented, and there’s a huge market for them because we’re such a big country.

Priyanka Chopra agrees, “Of course, that’s true. It’s been happening for years in movies. Most American studios — Warner Brothers, Fox, etc, have set up here since six-seven years. That’s an old, famous mandate. We have technicians and writers coming down and working with us because we’re the biggest movie producing industry in the world. If you include regional films, we make about 900 movies a year. Our movies transcend borders. No other country can boast of something like that. In terms of business, India makes so much sense. The music industry is also realising that.”

The talented twosome
If she could collaborate with a music artiste, who would she choose? Pat comes the reply, “In America, Beyonce. I think she is amazing and a suave performer. I admire her.”

Down the drain
Ask her what happened to her music album plans, and she laughs, “It went down the drain. I got really tied up, and when Quantico happened, I wasn’t prepared for it. Nobody expected it to run into so many episodes. We started with just 13 episodes and it blew up, so a lot of my time was spent in doing Seasons 1 and 2 of the show and Baywatch. Before that, Bajirao Mastani and Jai GangaaJal were happening at the same time. I was caught up with all my acting projects, so I couldn’t do music at that time.”

Missing her riyaaz
The actress rues that she doesn’t get time to practise vocals. “I’m terrible at riyaaz. I think that is also half the reason that I am scared of going back into the studio. I’m so nervous that riyaaz nahi kiya, what will happen? But it is such an amazing experience to actually be in the studio and make music,” she concludes.

Back from the US for a week or so, India's first crossover star, Priyanka Chopra, on the new world - her own, and the one around us
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; December 22, 2016)

It's crazy how in the past two-three years, your career's taken a completely new trajectory, breaking into the American mainstream in particular. I know you keep getting asked if you feel like Alice in Wonderland. But, is there a 'turning point', 'fresh beginnings' kinda story here, say, when the ABC vice president-casting (Keli Lee), met you for the first time, and then what happened?
I don't think I'm a discovery; I'm an experience. "Ah, she's interesting, let's launch her!" That's never happened to me. People had to experience me from the beginning of my career to now, whenever they had to cast me; and things have changed for me every two-three years right from the beginning. Even the reason I was cast at ABC (the network that produces Quantico), was because, I was told, that would be an easy introduction to America, for an Indian actor. I can just transform myself to play an American FBI agent. No Indian actor has been able to play a part like that.

They got acquainted to you through your music (with will.i.am, Pit Bull) that you launched in the US?
No, I just met her at a party...

See, that's a turning point!
But, it wasn't a discovery. She started talking to me, and said, "You don't sound like a Bollywood actor!" I said, "What do you mean; my accent?" "No, just the way you speak, talk about cinema, and acting…" I said, "How many Bollywood actors have you met?" "But you know! What people say about Bollywood…" I said, "Exactly, you have no idea!" So, the conversation really started from there. It wasn't like, wow, you're so beautiful, exotic, and I must cast you... It came from the way I see talent crossing over to global cinema. Even the reason I was signed up as a recording artiste isn't because I can sing. Everyone can sing. But I was told, again, that I was an easier fit somehow. I don't know what that means, because I'm just being me — the same there, as I am here. So I don't know what worked. But clearly, something I did right.


Priyanka Chopra in 102nd White House Correspondents' Association Dinner

And you get there, and you're on your 30th birthday at Bono's house, or the White House Correspondents' Dinner… You didn't see these moments as, whoa, what's up?
When I was 17, I became Miss World, and then was thrown into this world of Hindi cinema. I had met major global leaders when I was 17-18. So, the shock of meeting celebrities went away at an early age. Now, at least in the business, whether in India, the US or UK, I meet people as colleagues. I come from a place of someone who knows her job, rather than a place of awe. Musicians I get awestruck by, still. I was so star-struck at the Billboard awards — "Oh my god, that's Sting!" Also, I didn't grow up on movies. My teenage years were about, "Oh that album is dropping!" This year though, every two-three weeks, something new would happen, the kind of reception...

Well, we were sort of awe-struck — oh, she's on the Time 100 Most Influential cover, ah at the Oscars, oh making headlines twirling at the Emmy...
Well, what I would do at the red carpet, like last night at Stardust awards, hanging out with the press, was exactly what I was doing at the Emmy — twirling with my dress… I go as me. And I'm so grateful that people react to me being me. Which is why it is easy. Because I'm not trying to be ambassador of Indian cinema or anything. I'm just an actor. So what was happening this year, to my mom, my team, was just like — Okay, what next, and what next. I'm working, and results are bound to come, but it was just about the kind of acceptance in a different country. My show started airing September last year. So, I'm just a year old. I don't even have a movie released just yet. Sure, normal network audiences on the streets know me (in the US), because of Quantico. But, dekha jaye toh, technically, it's just been a year. And there are only 14 people who present (at the Oscars), so that was very cool.

Your year and half in the US was also an important year and half for the US itself, given the elections. You've spoken before about having lived in the US (Iowa, Newton, Queens), between 12 and 16, and you returned because of mean, racist teens in your class. What did you make of Trump winning the election?
I only work there. Who am I to see anything in Trump winning? But yes, I saw a lot of disappointment among friends, colleagues. I sensed confusion among people over what had happened. Every country has its issues. We have ours; they have theirs. You have to accept where you are. This is it now. You have to focus then on how to bring your country together than dividing it further.

What does Trump's election say about the America you had to leave as a kid, because of racist jibes.
When I look back, I know that the 'Mean Girls' happened to me in high school, because it was high school. I don't think that girl, who was an African-American herself, came from a place of hate. It was just hitting me where it hurt, because of competitiveness. In retrospect [I realised], school is mean. Especially, high school.


Priyanka Chopra in Emmy and Oscar

Even with your music appearing on NFL Thursday night, there was trolling, where you got called an Arab terrorist. Does that reflect Trump's America?
I think it's unfair to judge. We've all voted some impractical leaders all over the world. It's up to us to find out what this will end up being. One thing we forget to do as nations around the world is work with each other. We spend much time throwing stones at our government, or wondering what has this country done for us. Truly, what have you done for your country, humanity, and each other? I'm not trying to sound like, some, Miss World (laughs). But it's true. If we're so swayed by what one government leader says, and don't hold on to what we believe in, then there's no prospect.

Workwise, how have things been for you, when you'd flit between Quantico, and a film like Bajirao Mastani or Jai GangaaJal, which are diametrically opposite worlds, and you shot for them at the same time, right?
Yes, Baywatch, Season 1 of Quantico, Bajirao, and Jai GangaaJal were shot at the same time!

That's nuts. You were flying down every weekend to shoot in India...
To Wai, not even Bombay! I would land in Bombay, Saturday night, Sunday morning, take a chopper to Wai, shoot the whole day, take a chopper again, and fly back to Montreal to shoot Monday mornings.

What does that do to your work-life balance? Do you have a life at all?
(Laughs). I mean yeah, I do have a life. But I'm also on the cover of Time. But you know what, there is no such thing as free lunch. I haven't said this before: I have truly sacrificed a lot in life to achieve what I have, and I am okay with it. Because I'm one of the very few people in the world to get the opportunities and acceptance I have. I don't think about taking those two months off.

Forget two months off, do you even get time to go on dates?
I generally don't understand the concept of dating. I've said this before, and people thought that I meant I'd never dated. Which is not what I'd said. In India we don't date, na. You meet friends of friends, you vibe...

This is clearly a pre-historic, pre-Tinder India you're talking about.
Okay, maybe. I haven't 'Tindered' yet (laughs). I've never been out on a "date" with a guy to be in a relationship. I've always been in relationships, because you end up meeting people. So, yeah, I do get time to do that kind of thing. I make time for it.

Are you dating someone?
Wow! That's straight up. Hmmm (long pause). That's for me to know, and you to find out.

That long pause was for this answer?
(Laughs) Yeah, because I really think that you are single, until you are married.

Fair enough. Now when you were working on Bajirao, at the same time as Quantico, what did you have to do to enter such different head spaces?
Yes, they're two different people completely, in terms of body language, voice, dialect… One's a Maharashtrian queen from 1700s; the other, a modern, brash American girl, who's bold, brave, brazen. But I'm an instinctive actor, and this may not sound as glamorous as method acting. But my method, that I sort of learnt myself, is to understand the character, or what kind of person she is, really well. She then becomes my best friend, or someone I live with. I know Alex (in Quantico) that well, so you can throw me into any scene and I will know the peripheries, between action and cut, of what she will do. This helps me do multiple characters. That's why I do three to four films at the same time, and can pull them off. My instincts kick in. It's not like I become Kashi (from Bajirao). I lose Priyanka completely. I'm not taking on shades of somebody else as an actor. I step out of me, and step into someone else. That's primarily what acting actually is. If I have to pinch myself, and say I'm in pain, then I'm not acting.

Does the switch in language, in your case from Hindi to English, come easy? Do you think in Hindi, or English?
I'm not sure. I can think in both. Hindi and English have both been like my first languages. I do Hinglish also. And now I'm trilingual, because I speak American, which is a completely different language. It's not English at all. So, the language doesn't make it difficult, the dialect does. I had a dialogue coach in Bajirao, as I did for Quantico. I had to learn body language. Doing both together was an incredibly beautiful challenge. On the plane, I had to switch! It was fun.

In any country we often change our accent to be understood better. Do you go through the same thing? Is your English accent in India different from when you're in the US?
I'm sure, but I don't do it consciously. I try to speak coherent English. It's probably the global accent at the moment. When I'm in America, I have an Indian accent, apparently. And when I'm in India, I apparently have an American accent! It really depends on the ears of people hearing me. I just talk like me. There is no deliberate change.

That's the one stereotype you broke I think — an Indian on American television, parodying the head-bobbing Indian accent, as it were.
It was my pet peeve.

Like the Delhi boy Kunal Nayyar on Big Bang Theory?
Kunal, and I've met him, still has a decent, normal Indian accent. He sounds a lot [different] to us, because he is in an American environment. I play a proper American girl, not even Indian-American, like Mindy Kaling. The hardest part for me was to convince America that I'm American, like it was to convince Maharashtra that I'm [the wife of a] Peshwa. Thankfully, they were both convinced.

Will that apply to Baywatch, your Hollywood debut as well?
Baywatch is completely different. Ethnicity has nothing to do with my character. I could be whatever I wanted [to be]. So, I don't know how I've spoke in the film!

But you're in America, or Miami, in the film though.
Yes. She is a businesswoman of Indian descent in America, but that has nothing to do with the story. She is just this rich, ostentatious bomb chick, who wants to kill these guys. My accent is sort of Queen's English, I think. I'm confused!

Man, Baywatch used to be huge back in the day in India. Most kids lost their virginity to that show!
It will be good fun. It's rated R, so I don't know what will happen in India (makes a scissor with her fingers, referring to the Censors). But, it'll be a good

Now there's Deepika Padukone in XXX with Vin Diesel. Of course, you were the first. But do you see doors opening up as a result?
As it should. We are one-fifth of the world's population, and we're only talking about me in Quantico, in 2016, and going, "Oh my god! First Indian actor to break into the mainstream!" Of course, the door should open, and one-fifth of the world should have representation in global entertainment. And why haven't we been able to do that? Why should the conversation about diversity be only about black or white people? What about the rest of the world? You just basically have to be the best for the job, to fight this battle for diversity. You can't have characters written for your ethnicity or the way you look. In India, it is different. Because we all look the same. So we don't have that fight. With heroines, we just say, "Haan thodi sundar aur gori honi chahiye (laughs); thoda aur make-up laga do." They used to do that with me in the beginning. What I'm saying is, I really hope all actors and talents from India really do it — Deepika... Sonam (Kapoor) has signed up with UTA (United Talent Agency) now… I hope some of the boys do it too. They have to come out of their comfort zone. It's very different from doing one film sometime. That's not consistency. Our films already go across the world, and they're in Hindi, which is spoken in one country, and yet we compete with Hollywood!

Anushka Sharma, in a recent interview, told us how proud she's of you, and the key to your confidence is that you're an Army kid (like many female actors in Bollywood). No doubt your confidence levels on some of America's top talk shows, we've seen, is commendable.
The best thing I wear is my confidence. But I was raised like that. Not too many girls are privileged to get that. My parents never differentiated between me and my brother. We were told that it's a good thing to be outspoken — which is the opposite of what girls had been told. And a lot of confidence does come from discipline of Army life, and that we grew up in a middle class family, and were never made to feel entitled. It taught me never to take my work for granted. I'll never come late for work, be unprofessional, or not arrive at all. Actors earn so much money, and one feels that it must be an easy life. It's not. It involves a lot of sacrifice and dedication. Like an athlete, you just keep going, wearing blinkers, and in the right direction all the time. Otherwise, you will never have a legacy. And I'm talking about actors who are remembered. That's where I want to end up.

As an "outsider", always moving up rather than looking back, you appear to have the same drive as Shah Rukh Khan. He's been your co-star, but the reason I'm saying this, is because I saw a quote of yours, "I wear my success on my T-shirt rather than tuxedo"...
A tuxedo… Yes, it was quoted from him. It wasn't my quote.

Has he been a huge inspirational figure for you?
Well, I have derived inspiration — and have said this many times — from most of my colleagues. I didn't know anything when I joined the industry. So, I can't isolate one person. But inherently as a child, I have always been driven, competitive, wanting to come first in class, debates, elocution, plays, sports, everything. I was that kid. So, I guess the inherent nature of the person stays the same. I always wanted to be an achiever. I didn't know what that meant — being a musician, doctor, or what.


Priyanka Chopra in Billboard Music Awards and People's Choice Awards

Five months after Jai GangaaJal release, Anurag Kashyap-led production house and Prakash Jha get into a slugfest
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; August 16, 2016)

Prakash Jha has landed in another legal wrangle related to his Priyanka Chopra-starrer Jai GangaaJal, which released earlier this year. Last week, the film’s co-producer, Milind Dabke had accused the filmmaker of withholding the film’s master copy, making it impossible for them to go ahead with commercial deals, as reported ‘Mudslinging over money’ (hitlist, August 8). Now, Phantom Films has slapped a notice on Jha for making a sequel to his 2003 action-drama, GangaaJal, alleging copyright violation. Phantom, the production banner consisting of Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, Madhu Mantena and Vikramaditya Motwane, has claimed ownership of intellectual property rights and is demanding compensation of over R 1 crore for redressal.

Sources close to Jha wonder why Phantom has woken up five months after the film’s release: “When he announced the project with Priyanka Chopra, Phantom did not object. What made them suddenly file a legal suit?” They add that certain vested interests with a vendetta against Jha have prevailed upon Phantom to take him to court. As the source puts it, “It is clear that someone is goading them [the production banner] to take action against Jha.”

Jha says Phantom cannot claim ownership of the rights. “They sent me notices on the eve of the film’s release in March and I gave them a fitting reply due to which they could not go to court. Why didn’t they stall Jai GangaaJal’s release? They knew they could not legally stop the film. They can do what they want, but GangaaJal is my creation and the world knows is aware of that. Does Madhu Mantena (co-partner at Phantom Films) know the spelling of GangaaJal? He wanted the film for free to release so that their relations with Reliance remain intact. Why should I just give away something that is mine? I will give my reply in court,” he adds.

Reacting to Jha’s comment, Mantena says, “Phantom has complete claim on GangaaJal as a creative property. Prakash Jha is an industry veteran, and I have huge respect for him. Beyond this, I have nothing to say, since I have been in China for the past few days, totally unaware of latest legal developments on the issue.”


(From left) Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, Madhu Mantena and Vikramaditya Motwane at an event for their 2014 production, Ugly

MID-DAY (August 8, 2016)

The co-producer of Priyanka Chopra-starrer 'Jai Gangaajal' has filed a complaint with the Amboli police against director Prakash Jha's banner, accusing him of fraud. Milind Dabke, CEO of Play Entertainment, alleged that Jha has withheld the film's master copy, without which they couldn’t go ahead with commercial deals.

“In a breach of the MoU filed between us for 'Jai Gangaajal', we are yet to receive the master copy of the film, which is causing losses to our production house as we are not able to execute any commercial deals or sell satellite rights to any TV channel in the absence of the original copy,” Dabke said.

He also claimed that there has been breach of contract with regard to his other collaboration with Jha, Fraud Saiyaan starring Arshad Warsi, with the copyright of sound recording being sold to another music label.

Officials of Jha's company said the complaint was a publicity gimmick. A statement issued by Jha's banner read, "Throughout the execution of the project, Play Entertainment defaulted on payment and we had to make alternative arrangements to complete shooting. They didn’t promote the film adequately, which resulted in severe loss of revenue at the box office. We will file a criminal case against them for cheating, harassment and maligning image of Mr Jha and our production company."

Sunil Agrawal, CEO of Jha's banner, said he has written at least 10 letters to Play Entertainment to collect the master copy of the film, which was initially not handed to them due to lack of payment. "As far as Fraud Saiyaan is concerned, we were bound by a deal to sell music rights of three films to a particular label. Later, we requested them to relinquish their right, which they did. So, all music rights remain with Play Entertainment," Agrawal said.

The top nett grossers of the year till date are as follows. The list includes all Hindi and Hollywood films released this year.
1. The Jungle Book - 124.50 crore apprx (15 days)
2. Airlift - 123.46 crore
3. Fan - 72.50 crore apprx (8 days)
4. Neerja - 71.76 crore
5. Kapoor & Sons - 69.28 crore (35 days)
6. Batman v Superman - 52.09 crore (28 days)
7. Ki & Ka - 50.91 crore (21 days)
8. Wazir - 40.30 crore
9. Jai GangaaJal - 32.56 crore

Note - The films with days in brackets are still running. There are some films like AIRLIFT, NEERJA and JAI GANGAAJAL which were given tax free status in some states which benefited their collections

A tête-à-tête with singer Sukhwinder Singh
MID-DAY (March 28, 2016)

You have been in the industry for long. What has kept you going?
This is a dog-eat-dog industry, but talent is something that nobody can ignore. Talent goes for a toss the day you think that you know everything. There is always something new to learn and also something old that can be improved upon. Arrogance in music is damaging. I don’t take tension and pay attention to my riyaaz. Music for me is not a profession, but my passion. Professionally you may get tired of doing the same thing. However, passion never dies; instead it increases with time, redefining the involvement and commitment. When I sing, I get involved with the song and its music. I flirt and romance with the song. I consider music as my mehbooba. Romance for me is style and beauty. It is fun and pure and makes me happy and creative. In fact, I am a romantic flirt.

Since you are a singer who specialises in romantic tracks, you mostly get approached for situational songs.
So what if it is situational? A song is a song. My last film was Jai GangaaJal with a situational song and I got calls from fans saying that the song remained in their heads even after they left the cinema hall. Even a situational song has a lot of interesting elements in it. Chak songs.

Which forthcoming films and their music can we look forward to?
I have sung four songs in the upcoming film, Rangoon. The songs are fantastic. The standard of the Hindi film industry, established by A R Rahman in the international market, will be taken way ahead through Vishal Bhardwaj’s songs in Rangoon. I have sung in the opera style like I did in Haider. I have also sung in the Salman Khan-starrer Sultan and a celebratory song in Sarbjit. I must also mention Pranam’s music. The film’s music director, Vishal Mishra, is a passionate composer. Then there are two films of Mahesh Manjrekar

Do you sing a song keeping the actor in mind?
Why would I do that? In a film even the actor is a character. So often, I don’t even know the name of the actor I am singing for. It is about the music and lyrics besides the narrative which is given.

Your contemporaries are judging reality shows. Would you also consider it?
More than a judge, I would prefer to be a mentor on a music reality show. We have plenty of unexplored and untapped talent in our country. With little guidance, they can get the correct direction.

Prakash Jha and a retired couple that love his work talk about how the director navigates volatile, rural India and why his movies are not sermons
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 6, 2016)

Filmmaker Prakash Jha's airy office in Versova exudes vintage charm. Large posters of his previous hits like Damul, Mrityudand, Gangaajal, Apaharan, Raajneeti, Aarakshan, Chakravyuh and others adorn its walls, as bookshelves seem to tower at every corner. Jha is seated on an armchair, strategically placed in front of the poster of his latest release, Jai GangaaJal.

As Jha's mobile phone rings incessantly, husband-wife duo Prakash and Jyoti Dembla wait patiently for their turn to interact with him. To calm their nerves, they keep themselves occupied by rehearsing the long list of questions they'd learnt by rote for the interaction — after all, they are only a few minutes away from meeting their "favourite writer-director-producer".

"My name is also Prakash," quips the 57-year-old, as he shakes hands with Jha. He immediately takes his questionnaire out and begins the interview. "You went to school in Jharkhand. Later, you went to Delhi, Pune and finally became a filmmaker in Mumbai. How did you end up here?" The 65-year-old filmmaker smiles and recalls his 'runaway days', when he tried hard to focus on academics but failed miserably. "I was at Delhi University doing my BSc, but I wasn't really interested. I quit the course in six months and tried to come to Mumbai to pursue a course in painting at the JJ School of Art. But I didn't get through and finally did a film editing course in Pune. I shot my first documentary and moved to Mumbai and the city has been my home ever since. I learnt everything I know here."

"And now you have become so successful ...," interjects Dembla and Jha cuts him off mid-sentence. "I don't see myself like that at all," explains the National Film award winner. "Success is extremely relative. I am happy and satisfied."

The trio talks about the social-political tenor of his movies, usually set in parts of volatile, rural India. Jha explains that his early years as a documentary filmmaker shaped his career. "Reality pricks people. But I don't want to give some sort of a sermon to the public. I am not a Baba, and that's not my purpose. I want to make entertaining and informative films and be a storyteller. What happens with the film is another journey," says Jha.

Dembla asks the filmmaker about his attempt to venture into politics. "You fought for the Lok Sabha elections and failed three times. I would have loved to see you as the MP from Champaran, but why do you think you lost the race?" Jha smiles in response and says, "I don't know why I lost the elections. People did not chose me and I don't have an explanation for that."

But that has not stopped Jha from doing his bit for the society. For the past two decades, Jha has been involved in development initiatives in Bihar. As the Chairman of the NGO Anubhooti, he has also been keeping a tab on the growth of infrastructure, healthcare and vocational training facilities in the state. He points out how society has changed over the last 40 years.

"Topics that need to be debated change and thus, there are different subjects that films are made on. New production techniques and technology have helped films evolve. We have multiplexes and thus a new kind of audience to address. Honestly, I don't think we have changed anything drastically or started anything new. We still have a lot to learn."

Fifty one-year-old Jyoti, who was silent all this while, finally asks a question. "Does your wife help you with the process of filmmaking? Do you go to her with story ideas?" Jha points out that he is single and Jyoti promptly apologises. "Why are you sorry? I'm delighted!" he laughs. "I do have an adopted daughter, Disha, who is in the middle of producing a film. She is working on an Arshad Warsi-comedy called Fraud Saiyyan, which will release later this year," he continues.

Jyoti talks about Jai GangaaJal, which stars Priyanka Chopra as Aabha Mathur, a newly-appointed senior inspector who is at loggerheads with powerful goons. Jyoti says that the movie portrays 'narishakti'. "Women are not only housewives and maids. We can be tough cops too. Thank you for this Women's Day gift to all us ladies," she smiles. Jha, in response, quotes a line from the movie. "Agar khakhi ka rang saaf ho, toh woh aurat pehne ya mard, koi farak nahi padta."

Having worked with top stars, Jyoti asks him about dealing with starry tantrums on set. "No one has ever troubled me. I work with a lot of sincerity and those around me have been thorough professionals so far. My actors trust me I have never had a fight with any of them." "But you always work with Ajay Devgn," points out Dembla to which Jha replies. "Yes, we have a great understanding and he is a wonderful professional."

Despite giving some disappointing films in the past, the name Prakash Jha still evokes interest. After all, even his worst films have something that excites and makes one curious to see the film. But with his each passing film, this quality is slowly getting diminished and with Jai GangaaJal, it gets affected even more. It’s not a bad film outright. It has it’s moments but it’s based on a beaten to death idea, the execution is okay and many scenes are on the lines of the first part, Gangaajal.

The story of the movie: Abha Mathur (Priyanka Chopra) is assigned the charge of the Bankipur district. The MLA from Lakhisarai Babloo Pandey (Manav Kaul) is powerful and menacing who has no fear of law or police. He also has the support of minister Ramakant Chowdhary (Kiran Karmarkar) which make things easy for him. Babloo’s brother Dabloo Pandey (Ninad Kamat) too has a free run in the area and is openly threatening and even attacking those who are not ready to give away their lands for his power project. The trust in police is no longer there but Abha comes in and tries to change the situation for the better. However, she faces opposition from her own department, including from B N Singh (Prakash Jha). However, B N Singh soon realizes that he’s on the wrong side and decides to help Abha in her quest for justice and peace.



Jai GangaaJal starts on a musical note and this aspect continues throughout the film. The action and chase sequences are complimented with songs which give a nice touch to the film but only to an extent. Abha Mathur’s entry is thanda and some of the beginning scenes are a recreation of the iconic scenes of Gangaajal. Remember Ajay Devgn being harassed at the nakabandi and later Ajay addressing officers under his control? These are highly memorable scenes but the recreated scenes in Jai GangaaJal fall flat completely. It’s only when Abha assaults Moti Pehelwan in public that one gets interested in the film. But again, Prakash Jha messed it up as he showed so many key scenes in the trailers. So one already knows what’s going to happen next when Abha is chasing Moti or what lies in store for Sunita (Vega Tamotia) or how B N Singh is going to react when Dabloo humiliates him in public. Lessons learnt: Never ever see the trailer of a Prakash Jha film!

Moreover, the second half has unconvincing moments and cinematic liberty in the end that takes the charm away. The film ends all of a sudden, leaving several unanswered questions. On the positive side, the film has some great moments and deals with relatable issues of land mafia, farmer suicides etc. A crucial development in the second half comes up all of a sudden that takes the film to another level for some time.

Priyanka Chopra is damn good as SP Abha Mathur and gets her share of punches, kicks and dialoguebaazi. She has given her best in ensuring her act doesn’t look unreal. But somehow it doesn’t create the same kind of impact that Rani Mukerji created in Mardaani or Tabu in Drishyam. Somewhere, the writing is also to blame. Prakash Jha makes a smashing debut as the actor and it might not be wrong to say that he has done a better job than Priyanka! The manner in which that his silences also speaks a lot is seen to be believed! Manav Kaul is efficient as the villain and leaves a huge mark in some scenes. Ninad Kamat has a powerful role and steals the thunder from fellow villain Manav. Vega Tamotia impresses in her small role despite her urban upbringing in real life. Slumdog Millionaire actor Ayush Mahesh Khedekar (Nagesh) delivers a very fine performance. Murali Sharma (Munna Mardani) is quite nice in the role of an effeminate person. Kiran Karmarkar is okay. Rahul Bhat (Pawan Raghav) has a great screen presence but hardly contributes anything to the film. Shakti Kumar (DSP Prabhu Narayan), Jagat Singh Solanki (as Amreek Tiwari) and Ankush Bali (Moti Pehelwan) deliver fine performances.



Salim-Sulaiman’s music is okay and won’t be remembered after a few weeks. But the songs give a nice touch to the film. Tetua is the best of the lot followed by Binu Baadar, Maya Thagni, Dheere Dheere and Ghanghor Ghana Ghan. Sachin Krishn’s cinematography is fine and has a rustic feel to it which compliments the film. Sham Kaushal’s action as always is quite exciting and real. Prakash Jha’s story has fresh and relatable elements but overall it is clichéd. Still, it could have worked if the screenplay is not haphazard. Dialogues are simple and sharp. Prakash Jha’s direction too gets affected when the script itself isn’t upto the mark. He has a brand and a fan base of his own and he really needs to reinvent himself in such a way that his fans don’t disown him. Hope he is able to do so in his next film!

Some good scenes in the film:
1. Abha Mathur beats up Moti Pehelwan
2. B N Singh talks to Dabloo in Babloo’s presence
3. Dabloo kidnaps Sunita
4. The intermission point
5. B N Singh goes to arrest Dabloo and the scene thereafter
6. The scene at the morgue
7. Minister Ramakant at Abha’s residence

On the whole, Jai GangaaJal is based on some relatable issues and raises some important questions. Priyanka Chopra is damn good in the lead role but its Prakash Jha the actor who steals the show. Sadly, it’s an average film as it becomes clichéd and also too filmy which doesn’t go well with the film. Some of the best scenes of the film were already shown in the promos and hence for most of the film, one knows what’s going to happen next. The film has taken a poor opening and has no chance of a success at the box office. Here’s hoping that Prakash Jha sees the writing on the wall (this is his fourth underwhelming film in a row) and attempts to reinvent himself!

My rating - ** ½ out of 5!

Words of wisdom from Priyanka Chopra, who feels the young should stand up for themselves
Upala KBR (DNA; March 4, 2016)


‘I abhor violence’
Priyanka Chopra, who plays a cop — SP Abha Mathur — in her next, Jai Gangaajal, hasn’t seen the video but she abhors violence and says she would have definitely stepped in to help the cop had she witnessed the assault, “Why a woman, even if a man was being hit, I would try and stop it. I abhor violence. It’s not just about man or woman. I know I am often heard saying ‘I will beat the sh*% out of you’, if I am upset (laughs), I am against violence and I think it should be stopped always. Don’t we all come from the land of Mahatma Gandhi who taught us non-violence?”

Don’t try it!
The tough actress adds that if anybody tries to misbehave with her on a physical level, she won’t hold back. “I don’t think anybody should physically try to misbehave with me. I can be scary and I wear very sharp, pointed heels so I can just jab the person with them (laughs). On a serious note, I am somebody who doesn’t take sh*t from anybody. I think nobody should take crap from anyone. Young people should stand up for themselves and have the confidence to know what they are worth.”

Firm, yet feminine
The actress feels that her on-screen character Abha is a better person than her. “She’s such a good girl, possesses guts standing alone in a male-dominated world. Abha is more honest and follows the rules, while I break them (smiles). I love Abha for what she represents — the truth. Despite being a tough cop, there is an extremely feminine side to her as well. Usually female cops on screen are not graceful, but Prakash Jha and I imbued Abha with grace, adaah and tehzeeb. She’s very feminine and yet is tough as nails.”

Here, there...
Priyanka is currently shooting for the Baywatch movie in California and is missing JG’s release in India. “I’m nervous and excited at the same time… I haven’t had the experience of seeing the film. The best part of making a film is sharing it with your audience. But today, Hindi movies have a global appeal and one gets so much love and support sitting in any part of the world, it’s amazing.”

MUMBAI MIRROR (March 4, 2016)

Jai Gangaajal, a joint production between Prakash Jha Productions and Play Entertainment and directed by Prakash Jha, features Priyanka Chopra. The film is set in the hinterland with Priyanka Chopra playing S P Abha Mathur who takes on the powerful and influential politicians in a small town district called Baankeypur.

Play Entertainment is also venturing into worldwide distribution of films with their very first production.

Says Milind Dabke, Head, Play Entertainment and co-producer of Jai Gangaajal, "Jai Gangaajal is a commercial yet meaningful cinema, that talks about Police Society relationship. Given our confidence in our Film we have decided to go all out and self distribute the film worldwide ourselves."

Talking about the kind of films Play Entertainment would make in future, Milind says, "Films which are right on costs and have good content will be our priority. We are open for strategic alliances to produce and also distribute films worldwide, provided the numbers agree".

Besides Jai Gangaajal, we heard Play Entertainment already has an impressive array of movies lined up for both production and distribution in the time to come. "In about a week we will be announcing our next project which is a joint production with a very reputed Production house", Milind added.

WILL PRIYANKA CHOPRA EMERGE VICTORIOUS WITH JAI GANGAAJAL?

Gangaajal (2003) was a powerful and a very memorable film that played a huge role in the success of Ajay Devgn and Prakash Jha's careers. Now it's part 2 is all set to release tomorrow. But Ajay is missing and it's Priyanka Chopra who will be playing the lead role. Moreover, Prakash Jha too features as an actor as Priyanka's subordinate. Many fans of Gangaajal definitely were disappointed but the trailer has made many of these to change their opinion. The film looks like a nice massy entertainer and such films unfortunately are not made regularly in Bollywood. And there's a huge audience for such films. Priyanka looks damn good and looks like she has packed in a powerful performance. Prakash Jha as an actor can turn out to be the surprise of the film. The songs haven't worked but 'Tetua' seems like an energetic number that should enhance impact in key scenes.

Still, the hype for the film is limited and this will surely impact the Day 1 collections. Many are unsure about the film as it looks too similar to Gangaajal. Priyanka Chopra and Prakash Jha's characters seem to be in the shoes of Ajay Devgn and Mukesh Tiwari from Gangaajal. Moreover, Manav Kaul and Ninad Kamat seem to be reprising the roles essayed by Mohan Joshi and Yashpal Sharma respectively. Will the film manage to stand out is what remains to be seen.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE JAI GANGAAJAL AND WHY? DO LET US KNOW!

BOMBAY TIMES (March 3, 2016)

Juggling between Bajirao Mastani, Quantico and Jai GangaaJal has been physically draining for Priyanka Chopra. However, at one point, hopping between continents and the subsequent jet lag got the better of her. On one of her trips, the actress fell ill due to exhaustion and was put on an IV (intravenous fluids) drip. But that didn't deter her from working. She dubbed for an entire chunk of Jai GangaaJal while she was unwell. The crew, especially filmmaker Prakash Jha, was impressed with her dedication. The writer-director had been considering a film with the actress for the last six years. He says, “I was certain that she wouldn't be able to accommodate her dates between Quantico, Bajirao Mastani and my film. But she insisted that I discuss the story with her, and the moment she heard it, she said, 'I am your Abha Mathur. I am doing it.' She gives her 100 per cent to whatever she does.“ Well, this is the kind of commitment that makes PeeCee so winsome. Atta girl!

Jai GangaaJal, produced by Prakash Jha Productions and Play entertainment and co-produced by Milind Dabke, releases on March 4. 

Mohar Basu (BOMBAY TIMES; March 2, 2016)

MUMBAI MIRROR (March 4, 2016)

The director's upcoming film Jai GangaaJal has faced opposition from three petitioners, one being Nitin Navin (BJP MLA, Bankipur) for allegedly making derogatory references of the MLA and the people of Bankipur and Lakhisarai in his film.

Jha was sent a notice by the Patna high court regarding this, asking for the names of the aforesaid places to be changed. His lawyer clarified on Monday, "The matter is sub-judice. The case was presented on Monday but the order has not been passed. That will happen on Tuesday."

The director stated, "Jai Gangaajal in set in a place called Lakhisarai, which is a part of Bankipur district in the state of Madhya Prant, which is fictitious. The name Bankipur, is absolutely coincidental and has no relation with the actual Bankipur (Assembly) constituency in Patna."

Jha added, "This is a publicity stunt by the MLA. Even the Supreme Court states that once the film is cleared by the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) it need not be altered."

We wondered if the film's release (slated for March 4) might get delayed, to which Jha added, "Prints have already gone across the country. These people want to gain mileage out of it and nothing else."

Written and directed by Prakash Jha, produced by Prakash Jha Productions and Play Entertainment and coproduced by Milind Dabke, Jai Gangaajal revisits the dusty heartland of Central India and examines the society-police relationship. Starring Priyanka Chopra, the movie is all set to release on 4th March, 2016.

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; February 29, 2016)

BOMBAY TIMES (February 26, 2016)