Priyanka Chopra is throwing her global clout behind an 11-minute Indian short film about the terror of technological obsolescence. The actor-producer has boarded director Pranav Bhasin’s We Were Here as executive producer, backing an unconventional satire that tackles corporate anxiety over artificial intelligence. British actor Andrew Scott has also joined the executive production roster, giving the independent project serious industry firepower ahead of its wider international rollout.
The film earned its stripes the hard way. Long before high-profile names attached their signatures, Bhasin’s tight 11-minute comedy crisscrossed the globe, screening across more than 80 international film festivals and picking up over 20 awards. The momentum began at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, where the project made its world premiere and took home the Canal+ Prize. A subsequent standout run at the Palm Springs International ShortFest secured the film official qualification for the 99th Academy Awards.
The plot is delightfully eccentric. In a sleepy, fictional Indian town, three retired men become convinced that automation is systematically erasing human workers. They do not draft petitions. They do not block traffic. Instead, the trio decides to wage counter-warfare against machines by disguising themselves as everyday household appliances.
Cardboard, wire, and sheer panic fuel their crusade. Yet the story pivots when one of their own children lands a job inside an artificial intelligence enterprise. The absurdity crashes headlong into generational tension, forcing the eccentrics to confront a workplace reality they cannot outrun. Yash Gonsai backed the project and leads the cast, performing alongside Satish Kashyap, Dvendra Dodke, Arindol Bagchi, Shubham Kujur, and Kalpana Gagdekar.
Chopra moved quickly after viewing the cut. "This film offers a refreshing, witty take on a subject that feels very timely," Chopra stated, explaining her decision to throw her support behind the team. "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."
The production now transitions from festival circuits to widespread digital distribution. The New Yorker acquired the short film and will premiere We Were Here on its official YouTube channel, putting Bhasin’s homegrown technological farce directly before international audiences. With an Oscar qualification in hand and top-tier backing secured, an indie about kitchen appliances battling the future has found its global stage.