Priyanka & Madhu Chopra on their upcoming movies
Priyanka Chopra and her mother, Madhu Chopra, are working on three films, including one which pays tribute to the creator of the ‘Common Man’ and the late Goan cartoonist.
To celebrate women and children in cinema, Priyanka is rolling with three special projects this year. And since, the 34-year-old superstar is busy in New York, shooting for the second season of her American TV series, ‘Quantico’ (2015), her mother Madhu will fly off to Sikkim on 8th March for Women’s Day, where their first production for 2017 is currently being shot, reports Times of India.
Written and directed by debutant Paakhi Tyrewala, wife of filmmaker Abbas Tyrewala, ‘Pahuna’ is a story of three courageous children who get separated from their parents while fleeing from Nepal to Sikkim. The film is set against the Maoist agitation and is presently being shot in Gangtok over a 40-day schedule. Since the dialogues are in Sikkimese and Nepali, a translator is based on location as well as local assistants on set to guide the cast and crew.
“It’s a fantastic script and I was a little scared initially about filming in the region. But we have received huge support from the Sikkimese government and the locals are really gentle and very co-operative. Over 80 per cent of our cast are actors from the North-East because Priyanka wants to make the film as ‘local’ as possible. Even the music is Sikkimese folk songs,” said Madhu.
Madhu admits that mainstream producers are afraid of venturing into regional cinema because historically that is not where the big money lies. But she is proud that her successful daughter has decided to throw caution to the wind. “Priyanka has chosen to work with the best in the region and make her regional films commercially viable with a good production plan. She is passionate about these projects and will never lend her name to something just for the sake of it. There was no commercial cinema in Sikkim before this. Priyanka’s attempt is to give local talent a chance to make movies and enjoy them,” she said proudly.
Once ‘Pahuna’ wraps, attention will then shift to ‘Little Joe, Kaha Ho?’ which is set in Goa, and is in Konkani and Hindi. Written and directed by debutant Suvrata Nasnodkar, the film is a tribute to legendary cartoonist RK Laxman and will capture the world of Goan cartoonist-writer, Mario Miranda, through the eyes of children. “Working with young people has been a wonderful ride for me. I think they’re far more professional and passionate. ‘Little Joe, Kaha Ho?’ is a brilliant script and will feature many Portuguese songs. For the first time, the audience will see Goa as created by the Goans and not through Bollywood eyes,” Madhu promises.
The working title of the third production is ‘Almaseer.’ It marks the directorial debut of Laura Mishra and is set in Agra, around the evergreen Taj Mahal. It is an endearing story about a young boy and his dog. Set in Uttar Pradesh, the Hindi film will showcase the culture of the historic city. “It’s still in its nascent stage but talks have begun. We’ll be producing a film in Assam by next year,” Madhu asserts.
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