Priyanka joins Oscar-shortlisted 'Anuja' as executive producer
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: Actor-producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas has boarded Oscar-shortlisted film "Anuja" as an executive producer.
The New Delhi-set short film, which has two-time Academy Award winner Guneet Monga and Mindy Kaling attached as producers, is one of the 15 films to be selected in the Live Action Short category by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
Directed by Adam J Graves and Suchitra Mattai, "Anuja" follows a gifted nine-year-old Anuja, who must make a choice between education and factory work alongside her sister - a decision that will shape both their futures. It stars Sajda Pathan and Ananya Shanbhag.
On being associated with the film, Priyanka Chopra shared, "This beautiful film shines a spotlight on a subject that affects millions of children around the world, who are faced with the impossible decision between a future they cannot yet see, and the immediate realities of their present."
She added, "Anuja is a poignant, thought-provoking piece that makes us reflect deeply on the power of choices, and how they shape the course of our lives. I am immensely proud to be associated with such a phenomenal and impactful project."
The film was produced in collaboration with the Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT), a nonprofit founded by Mira Nair's family, supporting street and working children.
It is also being bankrolled by Shine Global—known for Academy Award-winning films like War/Dance (2007) and Inocente (2012), and Krushan Naik Films.
Notable producers such as Mindy Kaling and Guneet Monga Kapoor have also been onboarded to be a part of the project.
This is Monga's third nomination at the Oscars.
Her earlier projects, The Elephant Whisperers had won the Best Documentary Short Award at the 95th Academy Awards. While Period: End of Sentence, won the prestigious accolade in the same category, in the 91st Academy Awards.
Apart from Anuja, another film that remains a part of the Oscars race is Santosh, a British-Indian film directed by Sandhya Suri.
Featuring Shahana Goswami, Santosh is the United Kingdom's official entry for the Oscars. The film premiered earlier this year in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival.