Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Andrew Scott join Indian short film We Were Here as executive producers ahead of its Academy Awards campaign.
M Snehanjali
October 30, 2026 / 12:47 IST
Priyanka’s association adds further weight to the short film We Were Here’s Oscar-season journey.
Indian short film We Were Here is gearing up for its Academy Awards campaign, with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Andrew Scott joining the project as executive producers.
The film, written and directed by Pranav Bhasin and produced by Yash Gonsai, Dheer Momaya and Dar Gai, has already made a mark on the international festival circuit, screening at more than 80 festivals and winning over 20 awards.
Priyanka’s association adds further weight to the film’s Oscar-season journey. She and Andrew Scott have joined a growing list of industry professionals supporting the project, including Peter S. Kim and Nalini Sharma of Basement Video, Neha Kaul, Megha Kadakia, Priya Giri Desai and Shruti Ganguly of Prism Entertainment, Shivani Pandya Malhotra, Film Companion Studios, Anjula Acharia and Pan Nalin.
Speaking about coming on board as an executive producer, Priyanka Chopra Jonas said, “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.”
We Were Here has now become an even more global piece of work, having been acquired by The New Yorker. This means it will get its premiere through their official YouTube channels.
The film’s international recognition includes several notable honours. It won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Short and the Redbreast Unhidden Award at South by Southwest (SXSW). At the Palm Springs International ShortFest, it received the awards for Best Live-Action Short Film Under 15 Minutes and Best Comedy Short. It also took home the Canal+ Prize at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, where it had its world premiere.
Its win at Palm Springs International ShortFest secured the film’s eligibility for Academy Award consideration. Since then, We Were Here has collected more than 20 awards across the festival circuit, earning recognition for its storytelling, performances and filmmaking.
At the heart of the short film is an unusual premise that uses humour to explore the growing anxieties around artificial intelligence and the changing nature of work. The story follows three retired men in a small Indian town who become convinced that machines are taking over human jobs. In an attempt to protest, they decide to disguise themselves as household appliances.
The film is an unconventional yet complex story about one of the kids joining an artificial intelligence company. The film is a mix of comedy and poses questions around technology, the job market and the fear of being obsolete. It portrays how ordinary people are dealing with this fast-changing world.
Writer and director Pranav Bhasin is celebrating another milestone. His previous short films have also been recognised at MAMI. His short film Wolf of Chawl Street won Silver Dimensions in 2017 and New Year’s Eve won Best Short in 2018. Throughout the years, he has created his own unique storytelling style. Often using comedy to highlight the absurdity in everyday situations and the anxieties behind it.
Reflecting on the film’s journey and the support it has received for its Oscar campaign, Pranav Bhasin said, “We Were Here started as a small, silly idea about three uncles trying to stop the spread of AI, and somewhere along the way, I fell in love with them, their friendships, and their stubborn resilience. In India, reality is often stranger than anything you could write, and the mockumentary format let me keep the film rooted in real people and real places, while exploring just how absurd things can get. Now that the film is Oscar-qualified, I’m still figuring out how to process it. I made it the way I make everything. I followed an idea that felt wild to me, all the way to the end. I was never sure it would make sense to anyone outside my head. As a young filmmaker, I find it pretty surreal to have a tribe of highly accomplished and committed EPs, including Andrew Scott, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and V. We’re all really excited to find creative ways to get this film to wider audiences.”
With support from prominent names across Indian and international cinema, We Were Here is now preparing to reach a wider audience as it enters the next phase of its Academy Awards campaign.
M Snehanjali is a Sub Editor and journalist with over two years of experience covering general news and entertainment in digital newsroom.
first published: Oct 30, 2026 12:47 pm
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