Priyanka Chopra Boards Pranav Bhasin's Oscar-Qualified Short, We Were Here

Priyanka Chopra Jonas has joined actor Andrew Scott and Aarti Lohia as executive producer for Pranav Bhasin's Indian short film, We Were Here. The comedy mockumentary tackles AI job displacement through an absurd premise: three small-town retirees rebel against technology by replacing everyday appliances, literally acting as a microwave, a car's reverse camera, and a satellite dish.

“This film offers a refreshing, witty take on a subject that feels very timely. I jumped at the opportunity to come on board as an executive producer to amplify this creative team and ensure their brilliant, original vision gets the spotlight it deserves,” emphasised Chopra Jonas.

We Were Here has already hopped to over 80 international festivals and claimed more than 20 awards. After the film's success at the Palm Springs International ShortFest, it has qualified for the 99th Academy Awards. At South by Southwest (SXSW), the film bagged audience award for best narrative short and the Redbreast Unhidden Award.

Scott had chosen We Were Here for the second award. He joined the film as an executive producer.

Pranav Bhasin Opens Up On We Were Here

Bhasin told Variety, “‘We Were Here’ started as a small, silly idea about three uncles trying to stop the spread of AI, and somewhere along the way, I fell in love with them, their friendships, and their stubborn resilience. In India, reality is often stranger than anything you could write, and the mockumentary format let me keep the film rooted in real people and real places, while exploring just how absurd things can get. Now that the film is Oscar-qualified, I’m still figuring out how to process it. I made it the way I make everything. I followed an idea that felt wild to me, all the way to the end. I was never sure it would make sense to anyone outside my head. As a young filmmaker, I find it pretty surreal to have a tribe of highly accomplished and committed EPs, including Andrew Scott, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and V. We’re all really excited to find creative ways to get this film to wider audiences.”

Produced by and starring Yash Gonsai, the short film features an ensemble cast including Satish Kashyap, Dvendra Dodke, Arindol Bagchi, Shubham Kujur, and Kalpana Gagdekar. It launched globally at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, taking home the Canal+ Prize. The film is available now on The New Yorker's official YouTube channel and social media pages.