Priyanka Chopra Joins Oscar-Qualified Film We Were Here

Actor and producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas has joined the Indian short film We Were Here, directed by Pranav Bhasin, as an executive producer. The announcement comes as the award-winning film prepares for its Academy Awards campaign, bringing further international attention to a project that uses humour to explore the growing anxieties surrounding artificial intelligence, technology and the future of human employment.

The short film has already made an impression on the international festival circuit, screening at more than 80 festivals and winning over 20 awards. Its recognition includes honours at South by Southwest (SXSW), Palm Springs International ShortFest and the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. The award at Palm Springs secured its eligibility for Academy Award consideration.

Priyanka’s involvement adds another prominent name to the film’s executive production team. Actor Andrew Scott and Tony Award-winning playwright and activist V have also joined the project as executive producers. Their support comes at an important stage as the creative team looks to expand the film’s reach and take its campaign further into the international awards season.

Why Priyanka Chopra Jonas Joined ‘We Were Here’

Priyanka Chopra Jonas said she was attracted to We Were Here because of its unusual and witty approach to a subject that has become increasingly relevant. Rather than presenting artificial intelligence and technological disruption through a conventional dramatic narrative, the film explores these concerns through comedy and the experiences of ordinary people.

Explaining her decision to join the project, Priyanka said in a statement, “This film offers a refreshing, witty take on a subject that feels very timely. I jumped at the opportunity to come on board as an Executive Producer to amplify this creative team and ensure their brilliant, original vision gets the spotlight it deserves.”

Her statement highlights the importance of supporting distinctive storytelling, particularly when a film addresses a subject that is attracting attention across industries and societies. Artificial intelligence has become a major part of conversations about employment, creativity and the changing nature of work. By backing a short film that approaches these questions through satire, Priyanka is helping bring an unconventional Indian story to a wider international audience.

For the film, her association also comes with the visibility of an internationally recognised actor and producer who has worked across Indian and global entertainment industries.

What Is ‘We Were Here’ About?

Written and directed by Pranav Bhasin, We Were Here follows three retired men living in a small Indian town. Convinced that machines are gradually taking over human jobs, the men decide to stage an unusual protest. Instead of organising a conventional demonstration, they pretend to be household appliances.

Their strange act of resistance becomes a comic attempt to draw attention to the possibility that technology could make human workers unnecessary. The situation takes an unexpected turn when one of their children joins an artificial intelligence company, bringing the conflict closer to home.

The premise creates an unusual contrast between the older generation’s fears and the younger generation’s relationship with technological change. While the retired men see machines as a threat to human employment, the younger character becomes directly involved in an industry associated with developing and deploying AI systems.

This generational divide gives the film an opportunity to explore how technological progress can be understood differently by people with different experiences. For those who have spent decades working in traditional occupations, automation may represent uncertainty and the loss of purpose. For younger professionals, the same developments can offer new career opportunities and possibilities for innovation.

By placing these opposing perspectives within a small-town family setting, Bhasin gives a broad global issue a distinctly human and relatable context.

How the Film Uses Comedy to Explore Artificial Intelligence and Jobs

Artificial intelligence has become one of the most discussed technological developments of recent years. From automated customer service and manufacturing systems to generative AI tools, machines are increasingly capable of performing tasks that once required human involvement.

This shift has created questions about the future of employment. Some jobs may change as organisations introduce automation, while other roles may emerge around developing, managing and maintaining new technologies. The pace of change has also encouraged discussions about the skills workers may need to remain relevant in evolving workplaces.

We Were Here approaches this complex subject through satire. Its three retired protagonists respond to their fears by pretending to be household appliances, turning an abstract concern into an absurd visual idea. The humour comes from the gap between the seriousness of their anxiety and the unusual nature of their protest.

Comedy can make difficult subjects easier to approach because it allows audiences to recognise contradictions and uncomfortable truths without relying entirely on serious speeches or dramatic confrontations. In this case, the men’s actions raise questions about whether technological progress is always experienced as progress by everyone.

The film also explores the fear of becoming obsolete. For many people, work is more than a source of income. It can provide identity, social interaction, routine and a sense of contribution. The possibility of machines replacing human tasks can therefore create emotional concerns that go beyond economic insecurity.

By focusing on retired men, the story also draws attention to how older generations may experience technological transformation differently from those who have grown up alongside digital systems. Their protest becomes both a comic response to change and a reflection of the desire to remain useful and visible in a rapidly changing society.

Andrew Scott and Tony Award-Winning Playwright V Join as Executive Producers

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is not the only prominent international name associated with the project. Actor Andrew Scott and Tony Award-winning playwright and activist V have also joined We Were Here as executive producers.

Their involvement gives the film additional international creative support as it moves towards its Academy Awards campaign. Bringing together personalities from different areas of the entertainment and arts industries can also help introduce an independent short film to audiences who may not otherwise encounter it.

For an Indian short film seeking international recognition, visibility beyond the festival circuit can be an important part of reaching a larger audience. Executive producers can support a project’s profile, help amplify its creative vision and contribute to the wider campaign surrounding its release and awards journey.

Director Pranav Bhasin described the support from Priyanka, Scott and V as surreal as he prepares to take the film into awards season. Their association marks another milestone for a project that has already travelled widely through international film festivals.

‘We Were Here’ Wins More Than 20 International Film Festival Awards

Before Priyanka joined the team, We Were Here had already built a strong record at international film festivals. The short film has screened at more than 80 festivals and collected over 20 awards, establishing a presence across several major platforms for short-form cinema.

Among its notable achievements are the Audience Award for Best Narrative Short and the Redbreast Unhidden Award at South by Southwest. These honours added to the film’s recognition among festival audiences and helped strengthen its international profile.

The film also received Best Live-Action Short Film Under 15 Minutes and Best Comedy Short at Palm Springs International ShortFest. The recognition at Palm Springs was particularly significant because the award secured the film’s eligibility for Academy Award consideration.

Another important achievement came at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, where We Were Here had its world premiere and won the Canal Prize.

These festival appearances and awards demonstrate the importance of the short-film circuit as a platform for emerging filmmakers. Festivals provide opportunities for independent projects to reach international audiences, connect with industry professionals and build the recognition needed for wider distribution.

Why Palm Springs ShortFest Recognition Matters for the Oscars

For Short Films, festival recognition can play an important role in the journey towards Academy Award consideration. The award received by We Were Here at Palm Springs International ShortFest secured its eligibility for consideration in the relevant short-film category.

However, Oscar qualification and an Academy Award nomination are not the same. Eligibility allows a film to enter the consideration process under the applicable rules, but it does not guarantee a nomination or a win. Films must still compete with other eligible projects during the awards process.

For Bhasin and his team, the qualification represents a major achievement after the film’s journey through international festivals. It also creates an opportunity to introduce the story to a wider audience and build momentum during the awards season.

The film’s recognition across comedy and narrative short categories is particularly relevant to its identity. Its subject is rooted in a serious concern about technology and employment, but its storytelling approach relies on absurdity and humour rather than conventional drama.

‘The New Yorker’ Acquires the Film for Its YouTube Premiere

Another significant development for We Were Here is its acquisition by The New Yorker. The publication will premiere the short film on its official YouTube channels, giving the project an additional platform to reach viewers beyond the international festival circuit.

For independent short films, finding an audience after festival screenings can be challenging. A digital premiere through an established publication can help overcome some of those distribution barriers by making the film accessible to a wider online audience.

The move is also notable because short films often have limited theatrical opportunities compared with feature-length productions. Online platforms and publication-led screenings can provide another route for filmmakers to connect with audiences, particularly when their work has already generated interest at festivals.

The acquisition by The New Yorker adds to the film’s growing international profile and creates another milestone ahead of its Academy Awards campaign.

Who Is Behind ‘We Were Here’?

We Were Here is written and directed by Pranav Bhasin. The film is produced by Yash Gonsai, Dheer Momaya and Dar Gai, while SPLF Media and Aarti Lohia are presenting the project.

The film’s journey reflects the contribution of an independent creative team working across writing, direction, production and festival distribution. Its international recognition has helped bring attention to the story, while the addition of executive producers from different entertainment backgrounds has strengthened its visibility.

For Bhasin, the support from Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Andrew Scott and V represents an important moment as the project enters a new phase. Their involvement comes after the film’s festival success and its qualification for Academy Award consideration.

Why ‘We Were Here’ Is an Important Moment for Indian Short Films

Indian Cinema is often discussed through the success of major theatrical releases, star-led productions and large-scale international projects. However, short films offer another space for filmmakers to experiment with storytelling, explore unusual ideas and address contemporary concerns through compact narratives.

We Were Here demonstrates how a locally rooted story can engage with a subject that has international relevance. Its setting is a small Indian town, and its protagonists are three retired men, yet the concerns at the centre of the film automation, job security and the fear of becoming irrelevant are shared by people in many parts of the world.

The film’s success at international festivals also highlights the role of short-film platforms in introducing new creative voices. A festival screening can help an independent project gain recognition, while awards and distribution partnerships can extend its reach beyond its original audience.

Its Academy Award qualification is another important step, although the final outcome of the awards campaign remains to be seen. Regardless of the eventual result, the film has already achieved significant international visibility through its festival screenings, awards and acquisition by The New Yorker.

What Lies Ahead for ‘We Were Here’?

With more than 80 festival screenings, over 20 awards and eligibility for Academy Award consideration, We Were Here is entering an important stage in its journey. Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Andrew Scott and V joining as executive producers gives the project additional support as the team prepares for its awards campaign.

The planned premiere through The New Yorker‘s official YouTube channels will also provide an opportunity for a broader audience to discover the film. Its unusual premise and humorous treatment of artificial intelligence may help it connect with viewers interested in stories about technology and its impact on everyday life.

For Indian independent cinema, the film’s journey is a reminder that a small story told with originality can travel far beyond its setting. Through three retired men pretending to be household appliances, Bhasin has created a comedy that touches on one of the defining questions of the modern workplace: what happens when people begin to fear that machines no longer need them?

With Priyanka Chopra Jonas now backing the project, We Were Here has another prominent voice supporting its creative vision as it moves towards the Oscars campaign.

Note: Oscar qualification means the film is eligible for Academy Award consideration; it does not confirm an Oscar nomination or win.

This article is based on the supplied news report and statements.