Director Prasoon Pandey of short film Family on how he got the Indian film industry together for the offering
MID-DAY (April 9, 2020)

Ad filmmaker Prasoon Pandey says there is an "incredible back-story" to how a dozen of India's top actors, including Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth and Mohanlal, came together for Family, his virtually directed short film on the importance of physical distancing, in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Pandey said Bachchan was most excited about the project and also came up with the idea to include an appeal about helping the daily-wage workers in the film industry. He added that Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt suggested that the director not limit himself to the Hindi film industry only.

Family features Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Kapoor, Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Diljit Dosanjh, Chiranjeevi, Mohanlal, Mammootty, Sonali Kulkarni, Shiv Raj Kumar and Prosenjit Chatterjee. All the stars speak in their respective local languages, giving it a pan-Indian appeal.

The film chronicles a family's effort to find a misplaced pair of sunglasses belonging to Bachchan's character.

"The back story is incredible. Amit ji's portions were shot by Abhishek. Nick Jonas shot Priyanka's segment, Rajinikanth ji's was shot by his daughter Soundarya. Ranbir and Alia went behind the camera for each other. Everyone was so gracious. They didn't come into the frame, but they were simply helping. They were so selfless," Pandey said.

The director even toyed with the idea of releasing behind-the-scenes footage, but it could not be possible to do so within the limited time he had. Pandey said he first came up with the idea when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has praised the film on Twitter, announced the lockdown of 21 days. He discussed it with his brother, renowned adman Piyush Pandey, about making a short film that is shot, edited and acted while staying at home.

They called up Bachchan who was "the most excited."

As there was no physical meeting, his son shot a template film — in which he played all the characters — at their home.

"We sent that to all the actors so that they could see each shot precisely, [including details of] how to frame [each shot], and in which direction to look, so that it could connect to the next shot. I sent it on April 2, and told them it would be great if they could shoot it by the next day, and they didn't bat an eyelid. They started shooting on April 3."

Still, there were glitches, and retakes were required, but all the actors cooperated without any hassle.

It was harder to coordinate with Chopra, who is currently in Los Angeles, because of different time zones, but the Quantico star sent in her clips just in time: a day before the final submission of the film. "We started working on the music even before the film was ready. Because the film kept changing with more shots coming in, the music kept changing too," he added.

In an upcoming Spotify episode, 'daddy's lil girl' Priyanka Chopra Jonas draws parallels between husband Nick Jonas, late father Ashok Chopra
MID-DAY (March 19, 2020)

Her backyard may home the fanciest cars available in the market, but Priyanka Chopra Jonas was taught as early as in her teens that even without the accessories, she was among the privileged. "[I grew up in] India, where people are desensitised to poverty. And so was I, until my parents [made me aware]. In their hospital, there were always two beds that were [available], free of cost, for anyone who [needed] to come. My parents would go to villages to treat people who couldn't [travel]. And I'd go with them. I was taught [that I was] privileged; that though we may not have fancy cars, [I] was privileged because I had shelter, food, the [facility] to go to school, and parents who taught me that I have an opinion," Jonas told designer Diane von Furstenberg in Spotify's upcoming podcast, InCharge with DVF.

The 35-minute long episode has her spill details about those aspects of her life that led to the making of one among India's most successful crossover artistes. "I feel like there's a lot that I have to do in the US. I want my work to mean a lot more [than it does]. I don't think America has seen me do the [quantity] of work that I have [done] in India. That's something I'm striving for. I'm producing [projects], doing a movie for Universal with Mindy Kaling, and a reality show with Amazon, which Nick and I are producing." The Amazon show is inspired by Chopra's big, fat Indian wedding, which had sufficient fodder for the making of a show that could interest viewers in the West. However, it is the onset of her relationship with Jonas that tugs at heartstrings.

"He slid into my DMs and messaged me on Twitter," she says of their introduction. "A co-actor of mine had worked with him before. He texted me and said we should meet. It took us three years to go on a date, and we were engaged two months later."

Chopra can draw several parallels between her late father and her musician-husband. "He feels empowered when he sees me empowered. He'll stand on the side when [lensmen] take [my] pictures [on the red carpet]. He loves [my success]," she says, adding, "They say if you're close to your dad, you end up marrying someone who is like [him]. And Nick is. He's thoughtful, conscientious, and kind. I feel like I ended up marrying a version of [my dad]."

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is happy to see the industry come a long way from the time when male actors enjoyed an unhealthy clout
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 16, 2020)

She has always taken the road less travelled in a career spanning 17 years. From starring in a film that exposed the behind-the-scenes controversies of the fashion world (Fashion; 2008) to playing a character with grey shades in 7 Khoon Maaf (2011) or stepping into the shoes of boxer Mary Kom (2014) in her biopic, Priyanka Chopra Jonas has always earned applause for her acting chops.

Currently, Bollywood is focussing firmly on films with female protagonists, and Priyanka feels the industry has come a long way from the time she started off in films. “When I first started working, we were told, ‘Heroes will decide who the heroine is going to be.’ This was 2002 or 2003; it was on the beck and call of main actors. I’m sure it still happens with a lot of films, but what has changed is the audience, and the acceptance of watching films with content instead of the gender of the lead actor. That’s one big change we’ve seen,” says the 37-year-old, who was last seen in The Sky is Pink (2019).

Priyanka’s all set to star with Richard Madden in an international event series Citadel, developed by Russo Brothers, who are known for directing Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and End Game (2019).

She also adds that there were a lot of naysayers who dissuaded her from taking up roles that eventually turned out to be her career milestones. “When I did Fashion, everyone told me, ‘Women do female-oriented films — I hate that word — when they want to win awards at the end of their careers.’ And, when I did Aitraaz (2004), I was told, ‘People will consider me a ‘vamp’, and my ‘pure’ image will get tarnished.’ I didn’t know any better, so I ended up doing them. There was no one to teach me. Now, we’ve actors like Deepika (Padukone), Alia (Bhatt), Kangana (Ranaut), Vidya (Balan) come out there and say, ‘These are the stories we want to tell, and we will do it so well we will compel you to come in and watch them.’ When I started doing it, very few people were doing it.”

Not just acting, female actors are even producing films that narrate stories that they want to share. “Yes! You start producing films when you want to tell stories no one else is making,” Priyanka continues, “You think, ‘If you’re not going to give me the kind of films I want to do, I’ll just make it myself.’ In America, that’s what I’m doing. It’s a testament not just to the actor but also the audience who are becoming gender blind. My life’s dream is that we stop referring to films as ‘female centric’, actors as ‘female actors’, directors as ‘female directors’, or athletes as ‘female athletes’. It’s just athlete, director, actor!”

Married to singer Nick Jonas, one can’t miss how much the two adore each other as it’s evident from their regular social media posts. Does Nick watch her films? “He loved Mary Kom,” she smiles, “and started asking me boxing-related questions. He cried through The Sky Is Pink, and video called Shonali (Bose), the director.” She says, “These are the kind of films artistes look for. He was invested in that film because we met during the shoot of this film, started dating and got married. He was on the sets while we were filming it!”

Priyanka Chopra Jonas on marriage, ambition, and what it means to be a woman in charge
Deebashree Mohanty (BOMBAY TIMES; November 24, 2019)

You’ve said your mother played a crucial role in forming your views about life...
Both my parents have sacrificed so much of their lives for me. My mom was at the peak of her practice — she’s a doctor — and she quit that and moved to Mumbai because of my aspirations. I became Miss India at 17, and my dad was like, “She’s too young. She can’t be alone.” And my mom was like, “Alright, my daughter’s ambitions matter to me, and I’ll do whatever is required for her dream to be realised.” When I wanted to go to America at 13, my mom and dad made that happen. My family has always been an incredible support system for my ambitions and my dreams.

Has marriage made you see life in a new way? Also, what attracted you to Nick Jonas?
I feel marriage has made me calmer, and far more content. What attracted me to Nick was that we have similar values – we’re both equally dedicated to our families and our careers. So, marriage has only made me grounded and happy.

You are a woman in charge in a world, where gender equations are being talked about; but a lot of people still aren’t comfortable dealing with powerful women. How do you navigate your way without getting worked up?
I grew up in a family that encouraged me to have a voice of my own. My parents have always taught me to be my own person, and have an opinion about the world around me. So, I am who I am. While I do make an effort to accommodate everyone’s views, I will not change for anyone.

Tell us about your journey as an entrepreneur...
When it comes to work, I am a beast, and on that level, I connect with a lot of people around the world because ambition has no colour, it has no language, it has no border or country. Ambition is pure ambition. I have it and I wish for the women of the world to not be afraid to have it, because we have been told for such a long time that ambition is a bad word for a girl. This ambition drives my entrepreneurial pursuits. And I think that has taken me from strength to strength.

How important is it to love yourself?
How can I do and achieve whatever I have, without loving myself? I need to be able to live with my decisions, even be happy with them if I’m to succeed in my endeavours.

Being a global icon, you have to juggle multiple decisions within a stipulated time. How do you manage to stay ahead of the curve?
I think when you are wearing as many hats as I do, decisiveness comes with the territory. There’s no free lunch in the world. It takes dedication, hard work, perseverance and a really good team.

You’ve spent your life in the limelight for almost two decades. How difficult was it to manage?
I’ve been in this industry since I was a teenager, so I’m very used to it… it’s a part and parcel of my life now. So, you just accept it and take everything that comes your way in your stride.

There is a lot of negativity all around, especially on social media. How do you deal with it?
I take it with a pinch of salt. I understand that social media is a platform to express positive and negative emotions, and yes, I do wish that people tried to be nicer, kinder, and better versions of themselves. But this isn’t an ideal world, and I can’t really control what people say about me, but I can control how I perceive it and if I choose to let it affect me or not.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas confesses her fear of matching tunes with husband Nick Jonas on Pro Music Countdown
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; November 24, 2019)

Despite several singles under her belt, Priyanka Chopra Jonas claims she never wants to sing a duet with singer-husband Nick Jonas. While she has featured in his music videos, crooning along with the expert is not something she imagines doing. "I love music, but I don't have that kind of education in the field," explains Chopra on Zee TV's latest musical chat show, Pro Music Countdown.

Chopra, who is the first guest on the show, says that she "won't dare to sing in front of him". And adds that music is something she enjoys, "He's a child prodigy, he makes songs, writes lyrics and composes music. I just like music; hence I will never try a duet with him."

The Sky Is Pink actor goes on to reveal in the Siddharth Kannan-hosted show, that Jonas does a special performance for her "every morning". She says, "Every morning as I wake up, I don't have to turn on the radio because he is playing the piano and singing for me live."

The chat show goes on air today.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas tied the knot in December 2018 PHOTOS: RAAJESSH KASHYAP/ HT

Priyanka Chopra Jonas says that she is happy to be married to someone who has the ‘ability to calm’ her
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 31, 2019)

If there’s one Bollywood celebrity who has truly showed the world what talent Indian actors possess, it has to be Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Be it Hindi films, Hollywood projects or her singing career, she has managed to strike that perfect balance. But this has obviously made her life hectic.

Ask Priyanka how tough managing everything along with her personal life gets, and she exclaims, “It’s tough, but I’m glad I’m married to someone who understands my ambition and drive,” referring to her husband, singer Nick Jonas. The couple got married on December 1 last year. Priyanka continues, “He says this is why he fell in love with me. For both of us, our professional lives are very,very important. We both come from a non-entitled background; our careers were not given to us. We both have worked hard to be where we are, and have had a two-decade long career each. We know what it takes to do what we do, and support each other.”

For a couple, spending time with each other is integral to the relationship, more so when the people belong to two different parts of the world. How are Nick and Priyanka managing so far? “We have a rule,” Priyanka spills the beans, “Nick and I don’t go beyond two-three weeks without seeing each other. Wherever in the world we are, we keep in touch, and video call all the time! It’s important to make the effort to have the other person involved in your life. We do that.”

The actor asserts that “having a work life-personal life balance is very important” for both men and women. “You see more and more working couples today. We put too much pressure on ourselves and our relationships. (People tend to think) ‘It won’t work out if I take on too much work’ — and that’s unfair. It will work out if you want to make it work.”

The 37-year old has her hands full currently. Priyanka will be seen next with Rajkummar Rao in the adaptation of the novel The White Tiger, and We Can Be Heroes. She was also seen recently in the critically-acclaimed The Sky Is Pink with Farhan Akhtar, a Bollywood film she did after a gap of three years. People called it her ‘comeback’. Ask Priyanka whether it bothers her that her Hindi projects are called a ‘comeback’ just because she was busy with other projects, and she says, “I don’t care what people say. ‘Comeback’ ‘Go back’ ‘Here’ ‘There ’, people’s opinions don’t matter. I don’t even think about that. To some people it might be a ‘comeback’, to some it might not!”

Clearly, nothing bothers Priyanka. So, then how’s married life treating her? Her face lights up as she says, “Damn, it’s the best thing that has ever happened to me! We complete a year this December. I wish I knew it was so amazing, I would have done it before (laughs). It’s great to be married to someone who’s my rock, and has the ability to calm me. It’s given me wings in such a beautiful way!”

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; October 8, 2019)

Yes, she’s an international actor, she hobnobs with crème de la crème in the West, sashays on the red carpets of Hollywood with the glitterati and all that jazz, but deep down, she’s every bit the cool desi girl. Someone who dared to dream big, while unnerving a few, and inspiring most. And behind all that success and glory is years of sweat and toil. Priyanka Chopra Jonas — always high on confidence, spunk and unbeatable willpower — tells us, “I have never been a sharer of my life. I share a lot of trivial things, but the other side of it, I have never spoken about it”. In a conversation with BT, the actress talks about how her upcoming film, The Sky Is Pink, helped her heal, the lessons she learnt from her dad, living in two homes (across continents) and her dream life with hubby, Nick Jonas. Read on...

You are constantly shuttling back and forth between the US and India. While Mumbai will always be your home ground, does America also feel like home now?
Well, my apartment in New York feels like home, as I have been living there for over two-and-a-half years. I love going back there. Now, Nick and I are looking for a place in Los Angeles, and that will be the first home that we will build together, so I am really excited about it.

What is the first thing you do as soon as you land in Mumbai?
There are two flights that I usually take. One, where I land at around 3 am, and the other, at 1 pm. When I take the latter, the first thing I do is have an elaborate lunch at home. My mom gives instructions to the staff at home to start readying the food as soon as I head out of the airport. I miss my comfort food and ghar ka khana in the US. We get Indian food almost everywhere in America, and even my chef in New York knows how to make some Indian dishes, but my home food in Mumbai tastes different. Yahan ke ghee mein hi farak hai.

Coming from Bareilly to Mumbai and winning the Miss India and Miss World titles, then following your Bollywood dreams, stardom, fame, et al. Then, gradually making a transition to the West with American shows and Hollywood movies, and of course, marrying a pop star. Your life seems to be what dreams are made of, at least from the outside...
I can’t begin telling you what all it took to get there. As a person, I have never been a sharer of my life. I share a lot of trivial things, as I like doing that, but the other side of it, which is all about my trials, tribulations and strife, and things that emotionally hurt or affect me… I have never spoken about it. I don’t want to play victim, I don’t need sympathy and I don’t want people to say, ‘Hai, kitni mushkil life thi, dekho achha hua ki acchi cheezein mil gayi usko’. You don’t need that. Everyone’s life is tough, and everyone has their own struggle. I am really glad that my life looks like a fairy tale, as that was the intention (smiles). I am really blessed, and even though the journey has been arduous, and tough at every step, the end game has always been good and positive. I feel that someone is looking out for me.

After your 2016 release Jai Gangaajal, this week, we will be seeing you in Shonali Bose’s The Sky Is Pink. We believe that your journey with her started long ago, even before you met Nick, and the two of you developed a great bond...
Shonali came to my New York home early last year and finalised the film. At that point, Nick was nowhere in the scene. Cut to June, we start dating and by August, we were engaged, and that is when we began filming. By then, Shonali knew that we would be getting married at some point during the year. It (marriage) was right in the middle of the schedule of a massively difficult movie. In retrospect, it was quite ironic; it was such a joyous moment in my life, and here we were, shooting this film where we are talking about difficult things like death.

Shonali said that nothing distracts you from what you are doing. So, you could be shooting a tough scene, and cut to a few hours later, you could be pouring over wedding details….
This will be a slightly long-winded answer… when I first started acting in movies back in 2003, I didn’t know what acting was all about. I thought that it was a glamorous profession where you wear lovely clothes, dance and look beautiful. In the course of the next few years, I realised that it was such an amazing craft and what I bring to it, is what it will be. Whatever happens between ‘action’ and ‘cut’ is my job and that space is my playing field. The moment I realised that, I had to figure out how to do it. I also realised that if I stay in my character, I get bored. It works for other actors and I tried that, too, but it does not work for me. I prep before I come on set, I do workshops and I know my lines pat. But on set, I do chichorapan, laugh and enjoy myself. When the camera and lights turn on, I switch to my character. It is also because I know my character really well before I start the movie, so much that my character becomes my best friend. If you ask me how my character will react in a particular situation, I can exactly tell you that. I prefer it this way, as it keeps my performance spontaneous and alive.

Is there any character that was hard to come out of after the shoot ended?
This one (The Sky Is Pink). Not the role, really, but it’s about the way you get attached to a film. This movie has impacted me a lot in a positive way. It helped me deal with emotions, which I hadn’t dealt with before. I had a lot of dark emotions regarding my father’s death and for a long time I didn’t know how to process it. I always looked up to my dad and he was my friend. We used to call each other twins as we were the same people. I didn’t process that loss after he passed away, I was angry, and I took it out on myself. I was self-destructive in a way and I emotionally went through all that. But through the course of this movie, that changed. The whole thought behind the story is, why not celebrate the life that a person lived, instead of living through the sorrow attached to him or her not being there. There was such a lightness to that thought, that I think I healed with this film. I had to open up my heart and go to deep places for this movie. It is special, as it is inspired by real-life people who thrive in extraordinary circumstances.

In the past, you have spoken a lot about confidence being that one key element, which has helped you get this far. Does all that willpower and confidence stem from the fact that you didn’t have it easy, and you had to have that fighting spirit to sail through and survive — in two different entertainment industries across the globe?
I taught myself to be confident, you are not born with it. It is an exercise that we all can teach ourselves. I learnt it when I went to boarding school in Class III. I was this brat, as I was my parents’ only child for a while, and then my brother came along, and I got brattier as he was getting all the attention. I was sent to boarding school and the environment was so different there. My dad sat me down and told me that the beauty of going to a new place is that you can be whoever you choose to be and no one else will know the difference. Every time I entered a new environment, I told myself… who do I want to be now, I can be that person. That’s why I say that confidence is important; that is the easiest thing you can teach yourself and the best thing you can learn.

Would you say that you are fiercely ambitious? And did you ever have people around tell you, ‘Oh, she is too ambitious’?
Yes, I am fiercely ambitious, though I think that the word ambition has a really bad connotation, when it comes to women. When it comes to men, it is considered sexy and hot, and people say, ‘Wow, he’s so ambitious’. But while referring to ambitious women, they will say, ‘Badi ambitious hai!’ You get the difference? I chose to defy that. I have always chosen to defy that. I am fiercely ambitious, and I am proudly ambitious. I will always be! I feel girls have been denied opportunities for such a long time that if you allow ambition to become a bad word, women will not get or seek opportunities. Today, we are in an environment where we are surrounded by some amazing men who stand by us and want us to thrive. They are listening to us. Yes, all of them out there are not like that, but I choose to focus on the positive. So, at this stage, you can’t let social norms or stereotypes dictate your behaviour, because then, we will never evolve.

You are part of two massive movie industries, and you have also featured on Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women List (in 2017 and 2018). What are your thoughts on the pay parity issue, which has been a raging discussion in the West, too? In India, do you see a significant change?
Look at how amazing it is that the conversation has started, and it is so loud. Pehle koi sochta bhi nahi tha. I was told by a filmmaker many years ago that if I don’t settle for the price I was being paid, which was about two per cent of my male co-actor’s remuneration, I would be replaced by another actress. I was also relatively established by that time. It affected me and at that point, I told myself that I will be irreplaceable, and that there will be a day when you will only want a Priyanka Chopra in your film. I strove to work towards that. The pay parity debate reflects how women have been devalued in society in every aspect. A woman has to work twice as hard to make the same amount of money as a man, in most cases. This conversation must turn into action, and it will take people to get woke and the industry to get woke. It is happening slowly. Pay parity is still looked upon as… zaroorat kya hai? Today, in our industry, we have so many female actors and filmmakers whose films open well, and the audience go to watch them because they are good. With this change, even the remuneration for women needs to change. We have also worked just as hard. I believe that we are going in the right direction, but yes, a lot of work still needs to be done.

On another note, it will be a year of being married. So, is Nick catching up on Bollywood movies? Which are his PeeCee favourites?
Hmnn…not really. He watched Mary Kom by himself one day. I was traveling and he called me and said, ‘Babe, I am missing you, so I am watching your movie’. I thought that was really sweet. Right now, we are both discovering each other’s professional lives. Before I met him, I didn’t know much about the Jonas brothers and their music. He is discovering my work, too. We share things like…. this is my first video, this is the movie I am embarrassed about and stuff like that.

We believe you have said that having a baby is your priority right now...
Well, it is not like it is priority; what I said has been misconstrued, as usual. I said that I hope we are blessed with it, whenever it happens. Yes, it is something I would want for us as the next step… like making a family and building a home together.