Toronto International Film Festival: Priyanka Chopra Talks About The Sky Is Pink And Her 'Quest'

Priyanka Chopra at the Toronto International Film Festival. (Image courtesy: AFP)

No Indian star has made a bigger splash in Hollywood than Priyanka Chopra - and the Baywatch actress told AFP she is on a quest to shatter myths about Bollywood, including its approach to sex. Priyanka Chopra was the first Indian actress to lead a primetime US series with FBI thriller Quantico, and cemented her global celebrity status by marrying pop singer Nick Jonas last December. That star power secured a glitzy, red-carpet slot at Toronto's film festival for The Sky Is Pink, Priyanka Chopra's first Hindi-language film in three years. It is the only Asian film on the prestigious gala lineup at North America's biggest movie festival.

"People get surprised when they see The Sky Is Pink and they're like, 'this is not a Bollywood movie.' Bollywood is not a genre!" Priyanka told AFP ahead of the premiere Friday. "It really is my quest to educate people in that."

Directed by Shonali Bose, The Sky Is Pink tells the tragic true story of Aisha Chaudhary, an inspirational Delhi teenager whose life was cut short by a rare genetic disorder.

Ms Chaudhary delivered a TED talk and wrote a book on her battle before her death in 2015 at the age of 18. But the film focuses on her parents, exploring how their marriage and love - and even their sex life - survived the loss of two children.

'Dying Wish'

"I don't think we haven't spoken about sexuality in Indian films - we do," said Priyanka Chopra, 37. "I think sexuality is spoken about in many different ways in Indian cinema."

"It's culturally sensitive, yes," she added. "India is an amalgamation of modernity and tradition. And this film is made by a modern Indian. So hence, you see what her language is. This is true to who she is."

Shonali Bose, whose own marriage ended after she lost her son, was approached by Aisha Chaudhary's parents to make the film.

Aisha Chaudhary had been a fervent fan of the director's work and never fulfilled her "dying wish" to see Shonali Bose's previous film Margarita, With A Straw.

Team The Sky Is Pink at Toronto International Film Festival. (Image courtesy: AFP)

Shonali Bose told AFP she was moved by the request but chose to focus on the parents after learning of their "amazing" love story and care for their child.

"They wanted the film to be about their heroic dying teenage girl and I don't feel she would've wanted to be on a pedestal - actually she was really cool and humble," she said.

Priyanka Chopra, who does not have children, said she drew on others' experiences, including Shonali Bose's, to play Aisha Chaudhary's mother Aditi.

But there is plenty of Priyanka Chopra in the role too. At one point her character is described as "the 'almost' Miss India." Priyanka herself was crowned Miss World in 2000.

Global outlook

As beauty pageants led to acting, Priyanka Chopra, who attended school in the US, said she held onto her global outlook. Also a singer, Priyanka has released songs with US chart-toppers including Pitbull and The Chainsmokers.

"It's a genuine quest of mine to be able to cross-pollinate cultures, and to be able to take Indian cinema to the globe as much as I can," she said, adding: "It's not the language that's the barrier - it is the fear of the unknown."

The Indian film industry is one of the largest in the world in terms of the number produced - up to 2,000 every year in more than 20 languages, according to industry data. Akshay Kumar regularly appears in Forbes' annual list of the world's top 10 highest-paid actors. In recent years, Bollywood's influence has spread in North America, thanks to a growing, affluent South Asian diaspora - and a smattering of Western converts.

But while other Bollywood actors and actresses have landed high-profile roles in the US, such as Deepika Padukone in 2017's xXx: Return Of Xander Cage, none are as recognisable as Priyanka Chopra.

"I really hope that there's so many more entertainers from India that get the opportunity and push themselves towards global entertainment," said Priyanka Chopra. "The world of entertainment is so global now," she added. "With streaming coming in everyone from anywhere can watch anything."