The first look of actress-producer Priyanka Chopra’s Sikkimese film Pahuna has been unveiled here at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival.
Priyanka is producing the film through her and her mother Madhu Chopra’s banner Purple Pebble Pictures.
Priyanka couldn’t make it to the fest, but Madhu along with her son Sidharth Chopra attended the trailer launch of Pahuna , directed by Paakhi A. Tyrewala, at the festival on May 21.
Madhu said in a statement: “It was a huge honour for everyone associated with Pahuna to attend the prestigious festival and present the film’s first look.”
Taking Bollywood to Sikkim
Pahuna is said to be the story of three Nepali children who get separated from their parents while fleeing the Maoist agitation from Nepal to Sikkim. The entire cast and many of the technicians are from Sikkim.
Tyrewala said: “Thirteen years ago when I went to Darjeeling and Gangtok, I realized how easily I was accepted by the people as one of their own. Soon, I forgot that I was a guest and began to see the mountains as my home and that has never changed.”
“In Pahuna , I wanted to capture not only the beauty of Sikkim but also the beauty of its people. Pahuna is the story of people of Sikkim. My vision is not to take Sikkim to Bollywood, but to bring Bollywood to Sikkim!”
World premiere at TIFF
With the deadline of the film slated for June, Tyrewala hopes the film’s premiere happens at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
“I am hoping it happens at TIFF. There are 50-50 chances,” Tyrewala said.
Her directorial short film Kajal ” premiered worldwide at the New York Indian Film Festival earlier this month.
Last year, Priyanka had announced that she had joined the jury for TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival, a new digital shorts competition for which TIFF joined forces with Instagram.
