Priyanka Chopra to produce three children's films helmed by female directors

Trust Priyanka Chopra to think out of the box. The actress-producer is all set to roll out three films - in Konkani, Hindi and Sikkimese - centred around children this year, under her banner Purple Pebble Pictures (PPP). Each will be helmed by a first-time female director. Chopra had earlier spoken about her production house's goal to give opportunity to new talent and boost regional cinema, and she is definitely staying true to her word. 

Speaking about diving into three children's films, Priyanka said, “This is a genre that I have always been excited about and I’m so glad that I am in a position today to do something meaningful in this space. India is a treasure trove of amazing stories that we all have grown up on. These are across all our languages and well entrenched in our memories. Each one resonates because we can relate to them. The films we are producing will find a similar echo in each child’s heart."

The first project is a Sikkimese film titled Pahuna, which will be directed by Paakhi Tyrewala. It revolves around three Nepali children who get separated from their parents, while fleeing the Maoist agitation in Nepal.

Sikkim is a state that does not have a film industry of its own. With Pahuna, the state gets its first legitimate Sikkimese film, which will employ local cast and technicians. Filming commences in March 2017 across locations in the state, with support from the Sikkim's chief minister, Dr Pawan Kumar Chamling, minister of culture, GM Gurung and tourism minister, Ugen T Gyatso.

The second project is a bilingual film, Little Joe, Kaha Ho?, which will be made in Konkani and Hindi, to be directed Suvrata Nasnodkar. This one is a light-hearted story about friendship and will be shot entirely in Goa. Little Joe, Kaha Ho? is a tribute to legendary cartoonists RK Laxman and Mario Miranda.

The third is a Hindi film, Almaseer, directed by Laura Mishra. It is an story of friendship and loyalty between a young boy and his dog, set against the backdrop of the Taj Mahal.

On working with female directors for her upcoming projects, Chopra said, "It has been an enriching experience to work with these incredibly talented women. Each one has created a world, which is magical and draws you right in. I’m truly looking forward to working with my team."

Apart from these projects, Chopra is also making her second Marathi film, Kay Re Rascala, directed by Giridharan Swamy and starring Gaurav Ghatnekar, and Bhojpuri film Kashi Amarnath. Shooting on both these projects began recently. This makes it a total of five films to be produced by PPP in 2017.

Chopra, as a producer, had three releases in 2016 - Bum Bum Bol Raha Hai Kashi (Bhojpuri), Ventilator (Marathi) and Sarvann (Punjabi). While Sarvann was an average grosser, Ventilator won the box office and critics.