Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who is now settled in Los Angeles, was invited by the Democratic National Committee’s Women’s Leadership Forum last Friday to interview Ms. Harris for a fireside chat.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas reflected on their Indian connections, marriage equality, the war in Ukraine and climate change, as they shared a stage during a leadership forum.

Ms. Chopra Jonas, who is now settled in Los Angeles, was invited by the Democratic National Committee’s Women’s Leadership Forum last Friday to interview Ms. Harris for a fireside chat.
The actor kicked off the conversation with their Indian connection.

“I think we’re both daughters of India, in a way,” Ms. Chopra Jonas told the room full of prominent Democrats invited to the conference from across the country.

“You’re a proud American-born daughter of an Indian mom and a Jamaican father. I am an Indian born of two physicians as parents and a recent immigrant to this country who totally still believes in the wholehearted…American Dream,” she said.

Ms. Harris, 57, was born at Oakland in California. Her mother Shyamala Gopalan migrated to the U.S. from Tamil Nadu, while her father, Donald J. Harris, moved to the U.S. from Jamaica.

She is the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected U.S. Vice President.

The U.S., Ms. Chopra Jonas said, is regarded as a beacon of hope, freedom, and choice for the whole world.

“And these tenets are being endlessly assaulted right now,” she said.

The actor, producer and philanthropist said after working for over 20 years in films, it was only this year that she got paid equal to her male co-stars.

Ms. Chopra Jonas was most recently seen in Keanu Reeves-led “The Matrix Resurrections”. She will next star in The Russo Brothers’ series “Citadel” and “It’s All Coming Back To Me”, opposite Sam Heughan.

Ms. Chopra Jonas, 40, also touched upon the issue of marriage equality. She is married to American singer Nick Jonas, with whom she welcomed a baby girl in January 2022.

In her remarks, Ms. Harris acknowledged that right now they are living in an unsettled world.

“I’ve been travelling around the world as Vice President. I’ve directly talked with 100 world leaders in person or by phone,” she said, adding “things that we long took for granted are now up for debate and question”.

“You look, for example, at Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine. We thought it was pretty well settled–the issue of territorial integrity and sovereignty — and now that is up for some debate, given what’s happening there,” Ms. Harris said.

Ms. Harris then quickly turned to domestic issues in the U.S.

“We look in our own country. We thought, surely with the Voting Rights Act and all that it stood for, we assumed and thought the issue of voting rights in America was settled,” the U.S. Vice President added.

“Then we had the Shelby v. Holder decision. And then after the 2020 election, when more people voted and more young people voted than ever before, states around our country started systematically and intentionally making it more difficult for people to vote,” Ms. Harris said.

The Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965 to ensure state and local governments do not pass laws or policies that deny American citizens the equal right to vote based on race. On June 25, 2013, the Supreme Court swept away a key provision of this landmark civil rights law in Shelby County v Holder.

“We thought a woman’s right–a constitutional right–to make decisions about her own body was settled. No longer,” said Ms. Harris.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion.

Agreeing with her, Ms. Chopra Jonas said, “Absolutely. You’re so right. There’s so much to navigate right now.” The actor also touched upon the climate change issue as she acknowledged the relief efforts in hurricane-hit Florida.

“Extreme weather conditions like this are becoming more frequent and more severe. And I wanted to acknowledge the administration for passing the biggest climate legislation in history earlier this year because it is a fact that America’s leadership sets an example to other major economies around the world, which are truly dragging their feet when it comes to doing their bit,” Ms. Chopra Jonas, the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, said.

“The crisis is real, and the clock is ticking. And the urgency with which we must act is without any question,” Ms. Harris responded, stressing on adapting to extreme weather conditions.

“On the point that you made about disparities, you know, back when I was the district attorney of San Francisco, I started one of the first environmental justice units of any District Attorney’s office in the country focused on this issue,” she said.

“As you have described rightly, it is our lowest income communities and our communities of colour that are most impacted by these extreme conditions and impacted by issues that are not of their own making,” Ms. Harris said.

Aditya Chopra’s Broadway-bound musical Come Fall In Love has many firsts for India and Indians. This is the first time that an Indian director is debuting on Broadway. It is also the first Bollywood musical to be a part of Broadway. It also marks music director duo Vishal and Sheykhar’s debut and Shruti Merchant’s first as an associate choreographer at the theatrical extravaganza.

The lead of Come Fall In Love, Shoba Narayan, who essays Simran, plays her ethnicity for the first time on stage. On top of this, there are 16 other South Asian actors who are also set to debut on Broadway, a first for any musical. So, for actors like Amita Batra, Neha Dharmapuram, Rohit Gijare, Irvine Iqbal, Usman Ali Ishaq, Nika Lindsay, Caleb Mathura, Kinshuk Sen, Meher Mistry, Shoba Narayan, Shahil Patel, Rupal Pujara, Geatali Tampy, Vishal Vaidya, Sonya Venugopal, Bhumit Patel and Zain Patel, this is nothing short of being a part of history for South Asian representation.

Iqbal, who plays Simran’s father – the turbaned Baldev on stage, says, “When the South Asian community is one of the largest ethnic minority groups in the US, why would we not ensure that our theatres reflect this demographic and see that musicals proportionately cast South Asian actors? Isn’t this the world we live in today? It’s increasingly clear that audiences are becoming more diverse and expect to see themselves reflected on our stages.”

He adds, “If we don’t see ourselves represented on the stage how can there be any representation? The collective frustration of the American South Asian talent out there comes from not being able to have a meeting or audition to showcase their talents. We are either overlooked, ignored or simply invisible to many with the ability to affect change.

Pujara, who plays Simran’s mother Lajjo, says, “I am so grateful to Aditya Chopra for pursuing his long awaited dream of adapting DDLJ for the stage. Come Fall In Love is updating the beloved classic, DDLJ, by expanding the narrative of its female characters. In this version, Lajjo is not only a devoted wife and mother – she’s also strong, soulful and fiercely witty. This production is a step forward for South Asian women. It makes space for more of our stories to be seen by larger audiences.”

Narayan had earlier said, “The fact that we have an Indian musical headed to Broadway feels incredibly personal and monumental to me as an Indian American actor who was raised by Indian immigrant parents, and who loves Bollywood films, Broadway, and Indian fine arts. It’s a great moment of pride to see our Indian culture celebrated and represented so authentically on the world’s biggest stage. This is something I’ve spent my life and career fighting for. Hopefully, this will be the first of many.”

Sen, who plays Kuljit, Simran’s fiance in the musical, shares, “We have one of the largest South Asian casts I have ever seen on a western stage, that too being guided by a creative team that is also predominantly South Asian. Being from Delhi, but having lived and worked in the US now for almost a decade, I have almost always been the lone person of color, let alone the only Indian person, in every circle I have been a part of. So, to be a part of a team where my voice is being represented and heard, and that too positively and accurately, means the world to me. Our culture is so beautiful and yet, I feel like we have never gotten our due in the west… until now!”

Vaidya, who plays Kuljit’s dad, expresses, “As a Gujarati American who grew up dancing Garba, Raas and Bhangra, I felt I had to leave that part of my identity behind when I pursued musical theatre. But here I am, speaking Gujarati in rehearsals with our brilliant Associate Choreographer, Shruti Merchant, and dancing with the extraordinary company of desi artists in our show. It feels like coming home.”

He adds, “I’m so excited about what this show will do for representation on stage. South Asian Americans have never really had a show that can also be a training ground for new talent, and I find great hope in the idea younger artists will see this show and feel that, finally, they belong in this industry.”

The show also champions diversity and every department from cast to technicians is a confluence of the East and the West. Come Fall In Love speaks about the need for cultural unification in a growingly divisive and toxic world. It is about the celebration of inclusivity and diversity in a world that’s getting polarised by the minute. It is also about the importance of love and how it can unify people, cultures and break down all barriers.

The musical also has 18 original English songs to treat audiences with and the makers reveal that they also have a song titled Love In Every Colour, that celebrates the theme of inclusivity in the show.

Meanwhile, The Old Globe, one of the most respected theatres in the USA, has announced an extension of the world premiere of Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical due to popular demand. The Broadway-bound production, which opened last week and has received standing ovations for every performance, has been extended for one week only and will now play through October 23, 2022.

Having spent years in Hollywood, Ernie Hudson sure knows his game well. He is talented, grounded and a firm believer in his thoughts. Hudson became a household name as Winston Zeddemore in the 1984 film, Ghostbusters. Few sequels here and there, the actor yet again returned as his iconic character Zeddemore in the 2021 film. In an exclusive interview with IndiaToday.in, Ernie Hudson spoke to us about the prep required to appeal to the newer masses and also added that he wants to be a part of an Indian version of Ghostbusters.

‘TO GET A CHANCE TO DO ANOTHER GHOSTBUSTERS WAS VERY EXCITING’

Ernie Hudson spoke to IndiaToday.in about bringing new flavour to Ghostbusters: Afterlife. He told us, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife is almost 40 years after the original movie. Winston is the character that I play in Ghostbusters. He has changed like we all have. He’s become older, he’s stopped being a ghostbuster and gone into life. He’s become a successful businessman but he loves being a ghostbuster. In the movie, when the world is threatened, he puts on the jumpsuit and gets back out there.”

He further added, “For me, I had reached a point where I wasn’t sure if they’ll make another Ghostbusters movie and when Jason Reitman sent me the script, I was really excited. Once I got there, put on the jumpsuit and saw Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, I felt very emotional and honoured to visit the people I love and respect. And to get a chance to do another Ghostbusters was very exciting.”

‘WOULD LOVE TO DO A NEW GHOSTBUSTERS SET IN INDIA’
We asked Ernie Hudson if he would be interested to work in a Hindi/Indian film. He replied, “I would so love to be in a Hindi film. I would first love to come to India. We see things in movies and read about it in literature. But to experience it first hand… and I haven’t had the opportunity yet to come to India and to have the honour to work in an Indian film would be something that I would just absolutely love. I am still hoping and the possibility is still there. I would love to do a new Ghostbusters set in India.”

Has he watched any Hindi films? The Hollywood actor replied, “I have watched in bits and pieces, but I have never really had the experience yet.”

‘THE INDIAN FILM INDUSTRY IS SO ALIVE’
Ernie Hudson went on to tell us that he has worked with sportsperson-actor Vijay Amritraj in The Last Precinct, a while back. He said, “I have worked with an Indian actor, Vijay Amritraj (The Last Precinct) years ago. Now in Hollywood, there are a lot of Indian actors, producers and writers. So I think this is a just a matter of time and we are going to see more and more of that. The Indian film industry is so alive and I almost want to apologise for not being supportive but I intend to catch up in the future.”

The popularity of RRR in the West is immense. And the popularity has opened doors for the film’s director SS Rajamouli who has been signed with the American talent agency CAA (Creative Arts Agency).

“In a coup for the agency, CAA has signed in-demand Indian filmmaker SS Rajamouli,” reported Deadline.

SS Rajamouli’s RRR was released on March 24 this year and reportedly earned over $132 million at the global box office. The film became India’s third highest-grossing film of all time.

RRR stars Ram Charan, Jr NTR in lead roles and is set in pre-Independent India. Bollywood actors Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt are in extended cameos. The film is reportedly the only non-English-language film to trend globally for ten consecutive weeks on Netflix.

Rajamouli’s other films — the ‘Baahubali’ series too were global hits and earned popularity not just in India but outside as well. The film was considered as a frontrunner for India’s official entry to Oscars 2023 but lost out to Pan Nalin’s ‘Chhelo Show’. The makers reportedly are now planning to enter the Oscar race separately. RRR was a fictional story set in the 1920s pre-independence era and narrated the story of two real-life heroes and well-known revolutionaries – Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem.

Rajamouli will next be working on an action-adventure with Mahesh Babu and Pooja Hegde.