Dubai: If Priyanka Chopra is lucky, she may be able to squeeze in four hours of sleep before she starts to get ready for the 88th Academy Awards on Sunday night.
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The Quantico star, who is only the second Indian to present a coveted golden statuette at the annual ceremony in Los Angeles, is yet to decide what to wear for the big night (“I am gearing towards white”), but she is convinced that it’s going to be a “fun night”.
(The last Indian to present an Oscar was Persis Khambatta, who acted in Star Trek, in 1980.)
Just like nearly everybody else on the planet, she too wondered out loud (in Hindi) if Hollywood actor Leonardo Dicaprio will finally take home his first Oscar, for his survival epic The Revenant. So who’s she rooting for?
“There have been many amazing films that came out this year. But my personal favourites were Spotlight, The Danish Girl and The Big Short. And it will be fun to see if Leo will get his first Oscar or not,” said Chopra, via a Skype call from LA, on Sunday morning UAE time.
She was not in Dubai in person to promote her upcoming police drama, Jai Gangaajal, whose cast was doing its Dubai junket on Sunday afternoon, but there was no getting away from her contagious energy and enthusiasm.
(Despite being busy with filming of the upcoming Baywatch film, Oscar rehearsals and Quantico, she managed to send a bunch of white flowers to wish her Jai Gangaajal director Prakash Jha on his birthday.)
So will her presence at the Oscars alter the debate on the Academy Awards lacking diversity?
“It’s a start, but it’s not the end of the debate for sure. It’s a conversation that needs to be had. Diversity is a very important part of entertainment. Today global entertainment is not about people from one place and it’s about people from different parts of the world. Representation should mean that. I am glad that I am a step in the right direction,” said Chopra, who won a People’s Choice Award last month for her role as a tarnished FBI recruit in Quantico. The TV show has been renewed for a second season.
Apart from seeking “global domination”, one role at a time, Chopra has become the poster girl for multitasking. It was 12.30am on Sunday in LA, but she wasn’t willing to bypass the chance of talking up Jai Gangaajal, out in the UAE this Thursday.
“I stay up late for India and I stay up in the morning for America. And that’s my choice. I love Hindi films too much. I also love the fact that I am making a foray into something new. As women, our super power is multitasking,” said Chopra.
In Jai Gangaajal, Chopra plays Abha Mathur, a tough police officer who takes on corrupt politicians and roots for poor Indian farmers who commit suicide due to mounting debts.
The trailers show her beating bad guys with a stick and standing up to corrupt political leaders.
“After this film, I have realised it’s hard to be a female police officer. You know, people have for years treated women as second-class citizens. It’s very hard for people to take women doing jobs seriously. It’s a big fight that will take time to resolve. But playing a character like Abha, a police officer who eventually wins, was a happy thing to do,” said Chopra. The National-Award winning actress hopes that her drama will spark a debate on feminism.
“There are so many people who talk about feminism. But I thought it’s better to show it,” said Chopra, who says she spent at least 15 hours discussing her character with Jha on the first day of her shoot.
“Action speaks louder than words.”
“In my eyes, feminism means men have to stand up and believe that women are as good at doing their jobs,” said Chopra, who dreams of a world free of gender bias. So what was the tough part about the role?
“The interesting challenge was not to make my role masculine. Just because I am wearing a uniform, it doesn’t mean I have to be manly … The message here is that whether it’s a man or a woman, don’t judge me for my gender. Judge me for my ability to do my job.”
While she’s a champion for women’s rights and gender equality, Chopra lets us in on a secret.
“The real Priyanka Chopra is probably the one that you will see on the red carpet tonight. I never relate to any of my characters because I am creating different people. For instance, Abha and Alex [Parrish from Quantico] are not me. The only common thing is that they are law enforcement officers. While Abha is the play-by-the-rules kind of cop, Alex breaks all the rules. So the one you see on the red carpet soon is probably me.”
