In one of Washington's biggest events of the year, all eyes were on Priyanka Chopra as she turned up in a sexy black, sheer-stripe gown with a dangerously plunging neckline. The stunner, who is starring in the Baywatch reboot, in a negative role, was among several high-profile celebrities including Oscar winners Helen Mirren and Jared Leto, Will Smith, Emma Watson and Bryan Cranston. The guests showed up US President Barack Obama's final correspondent's dinner. The actress later posted a picture of herself with Obama and his wife Michelle on a photo-blogging website and wrote, “Lovely to meet the very funny and charming @barackobama and the beautiful @michelleobama. Thank you for a lovely evening. Cannot wait to start working on your girls education program #whitehousecorrespondentdinner“. (sic) The non-profit White House Correspondents' Association, which has members including reporters, producers, camera operators and journalists regularly covering the White House, traditionally hosts this annual dinner to raise money for journalism scholarships.

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The actress who made a splash at the White House says she is a proud Indian happy to represent her country anywhere but now waiting for a family vacation
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 2, 2016)

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MID-DAY (May 2, 2016)

Priyanka Chopra attended the annual White House Correspondents’ dinner in Washington over the weekend. The actress shared her snapshot with US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on Twitter. PeeCee chose a lacy black shimmery Zuhair Murad gown for the gala. She posted on Twitter, “Lovely to meet the very funny and charming Barack Obama and the beautiful Michelle Obama.
Thank you for a lovely evening. Cannot wait to start working on your girls education programme (sic).”

After receiving the Padma Shri from President Mukherjee in New Delhi, Pranab Priyanka Chopra was jubilant and proud. Though the actress became emotional while remembering her father, she was ecstatic that the rest of her family was there to cheer for her. She even cracked the odd joke. Later, PC spoke to the media and spent most of her day giving interviews, even attending T Subbarami's felicitation party for her.During the press conference, she said, “Now I am Padma Shri. Shri is better than Shrimati! But I am still trying to figure out how to say it - I find it really funny to say 'Padma Shri Priyanka Chopra'.“

She wore her badge of honour for almost the entire day and flaunted it proudly, pinning it to the left side of her lime green sari. “I was sure that I would wear something Indian, and I chose this handwoven sari as I think that textile industries are dying in the country. Weaving is a beautiful Indian tradition that needs to be preserved,“ she said. When asked about the difficulties she faced, the actress replied, “A woman's greatest secret is that nobody knows her hardships and I am that kind of a woman. I don't like talking about my hardships; I like talking about my achievements.“

'WOW, THE PRESIDENT KNOWS ME!'
Being a 'defence daughter', the Padma Shri means a lot to her. Priyanka said, “If my dad were here, it would have been a huge moment for him. The National Award was (which she won in 2010 for Fashion). When I got it, dad was a little ill, but his tie and suit had been picked out three days before the function, ironed and kept properly -after all, he was going to meet the President, it was 'the' moment for him as an Army officer. This time, my bade papa, my dad's elder brother, my nani, mom, brother and maasis were there. I always have my family with me, especially on such occasions. My bade papa had worn all his medals and was in his uniform, so it was really special.“

“I really missed my dad, I got very emotional. It is pretty early for me to win this award. I was told by somebody that I was the youngest actress to get it and I feel that it is acknowledgement of the fact that I have done work that's credible. Eventually that is all you want as an actor,“ she said.

Meeting President Pranab Mukherjee was a big deal for Priyanka. “President Mukherjee is a very intelligent man and we have had many discussions in the past. When Mary Kom was releasing, I had gone to the Rashtrapati Bhavan and we had discussions about sports and engineering. It was very nice to have those conversations and he was very forthcoming. More than anything, I liked the fact that he was familiar with me. It was like, 'Wow, the President knows me'!“

I HAD TO EXPLAIN TO MY CO-STARS WHAT A PADMA AWARD IS
The actress said that when she told her co-stars in the US that she had won the Padma Shri, nobody got it until she explained what it is. “They did not understand what a Padma Shri is, so I explained it to them ... I told them that it is like a knighthood, like in the UK, one gets the title of 'Lady' or 'Sir', and it is a title from the government. When I explained this to them, they got very excited. Everybody worked 24 hours so that I could take four days out to come here. Quantico's season finale is being shot while Baywatch's last schedule is being completed. For six months, I will do Quantico and I have six months to do films, so now I am going to take up a Hindi film, which I will decide this week,“ she said.

TOO BUSY TO ATTEND WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER
Being invited to the annual US White House Correspondents' Dinner with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama is a matter of pride for her, but Priyanka says that she is still trying to work out her dates for it. “My dates are being worked out for the White House Correspondents' Dinner. I really want to attend it because it's so much fun, but I am committed to Quantico and Baywatch at that time, and because I took four days out for the Padma Award, I don't know how it will happen now,“ she said.

I AM THE WRONG INDIAN TO MOST PEOPLE
Everybody abroad thinks that India is all about yoga, meditation and spirituality, PC said. “We have businesses, so many different avenues to expand. I am not at all a yogi, I don't like chai, I am the 'wrong Indian' for most people, they don't understand ki yeh kaise ho gaya. Jis tarah log LA mein yoga karte hain, I don't think hum karte honge. I am having a good time with people discovering me and my work. When people see me in Quantico, they ask why so many people are interested in watching me, then they will google my name and they will see the films I have done. I have so many people watching my films online now and they have really started liking Hindi movies and understand that Hindi movies are not about stereotypes. It is an amazing cultural exchange that is happening for me,“ she said.

The actress, who has now become the face of international projects, says that she was always sure that she would not settle for anything 'less' just because it was coming from Hollywood. “I never had the greed or the ambition to go to Hollywood. I have never seen it as something bigger and better. I want the globe and I am glad that with my TV show, I have got a little bit of that. It has gone to 120 territories, 44 languages and we are not even finished with season one, we are only on episode 15 right now. That is a testimony to the power of Indian cinema and I take tremendous pride in the fact that I come from the Hindi film industry. When the American network approached me, I was very clear that I am a lead actor and that's the part I want to play, otherwise I am not interested. I wanted it to be ethnically ambiguous, I wanted it to be not about the stereotypes of Bollywood that America always shows -that makes me angry. I went to school in America and I used to hate Apu from the Simpsons because we don't talk like that, so I really wanted to play a strong, badass character to show the world that Indian girls are not just about henna and nathni, though there is nothing wrong with that,“ she said.

A PUNJABI GIRL WHO LIKES EATING CHICKEN
It's been six months now that Priyanka has been in America, and though her family keeps visiting her, she admits that it does get lonely at times. “But I had such an amazing welcome in America,“ she said, and added, “It's only been six months and to have the kind of acknowledgements that I have got -whether it's been the Oscars or been present at the SAGs or a White House invitation as a representative of the arts in America - it's amazing. I have got a very warm welcome for the work that I do, and that is also because I am not a newcomer. When I stand in front of the camera, I know what the hell I am doing, much better than most people around me, because I have the experience of working with the most prolific film industry in the world. We make 900 films a year, including regional films. I am very proud of my Indianness - I play Holi on the sets, I take my Indianness wherever I go as an experience that I share with the world, and they love it.On Good Morning America, I was teaching all of them how to dance the Indian way on Times Square. I am who I am and I don't change myself. If I go to any other part of the world, how you are seeing me right now is how you will see me on the Jimmy Kennel Show - it's the same Punjabi girl who likes eating chicken!“

I MISS DOING HINDI SONGS
When Priyanka was asked about how it was different working in a different country , she said, “The way of working remains the same, but working for TV and films is very different. Working for TV is very difficult. I have new-found respect for television. Films are a lot more languid. I don't find much of a difference in the way of working, but I miss doing Hindi songs. I am trying to ghusaao a Hindi song into my Hollywood work, actually. Every film has the same chaos - assistant director comes and stands outside your van, saying, 'Madam, aap bahar nahi aa rahi.' Lines change last minute. I always come 15 minutes late on the sets - maine Hollywood ko bhi Bollywood bana diya hai, abhi woh log sab jante hai ki Priyanka 15 minute late aayegi.“

The legend of Indian cinema, Rajinikanth, received the Padma Vibhushan while actress Priyanka Chopra and tennis star Sania Mirza were honoured with the Padma Shri on Tuesday at Rashtrapati Bhavan. President of India, Pranab Mukherjee presented the awards to them at a glittering ceremony.

Priyanka said, “I can't explain what I'm feeling right now... It's very surreal. It's such a huge honour and I'm so happy to be a part of the ceremony today. Being at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, in the presence of the honourable President and all the dignitaries, sitting amongst the other accomplished awardees and mostly having my family present made today complete. I missed my dad... I know he would have been very proud.“

Few political heavy weights in Delhi have had the energy and inclination to be as avid movie watchers as CM Arvind Kejriwal. Which is why when they do want to watch something, it gets noticed. Among the more reclusive cine enthusiasts who rarely ever watch movies is President Pranab Mukherjee, who has barely watched two movies in his tenure at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The movie which has now caught his attention is Talvar, the film based on the Aarushi Talwar murder case. The President's office has recently contacted Meghna Gulzar, the film's director, seeking a screening of the critically acclaimed film for him at Rashtrapati Bhavan on the 25th of this month. Meghna confirms the development, telling us that, “It's an honour for us to host a screening for the President. We are looking forward to the screening and are obliged that the President has expressed his desire to watch our movie.“ The cast and crew of the film - including Meghna, writer Vishal Bhardwaj, and actors Irrfan, Konkona Sensharma, Neeraj Kabi and Sohum Shah - are expected to attend the screening.

At a press conference held in South Mumbai on Thursday, a letter was sent to the President, Pranab Mukherjee, appealing for his intervention in the ongoing crisis at Pune's Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). The impasse has been continuing since the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the FTII chairman on June 9.

The letter has been signed by around 190 National Award winners. Some of the prominent signatories were filmmakers Sriram Raghavan, Kundan Shah, Hansal Mehta, Dibakar Banerjee, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Oscar winning editor Resul Pookutty and actress Vidya Balan.

Surabhi Sharma, a 1998 FTII graduate and documentary filmmaker, was one of the key organisers. She said that the film fraternity has been concerned about these protests which have continued for the last three months with no solution. “We hope the letter makes a difference. If the voices of so many National Award winners don't matter, then nothing will,“ asserted Surabhi, adding that the same letter would be sent to the Prime Minister's Office and Information & Broadcasting Ministry.

Kundan Shah wants the government to reconsider their decision.“They have made a wrong appointment. We want the government to sit with the students and hear them out. This appointment was a political decision, why should the students suffer for it?“ he argued. “I've been told that they are continuing with their studies outside the classroom on their own, but films are not being made.“

Mehta echoes his views, “This is not only about FTII and the students but also about the level of resistance. Everyday some ban or the other is being imposed, someone has to raise his voice. In this case the students have stood up against the interference of the government. Now the government should accept that it has made a mistake in the appointment of the FTII Chairman and dissolve the committee temporarily. Then let the eminent practitioners of arts and culture come together and draft an appropriate process for the appointment of the committee,“ he says.