Priyanka Chopra Jonas and V Join Indian Short 'We Were Here' as Executive Producers
Priyanka Chopra Jonas and V, formerly known as Eve Ensler, have signed on as executive producers of "We Were Here", an Indian short film by Pranav Bhasin. Variety reported the news on 29 October 2026. They join Andrew Scott in the role as the film gears up for awards season.
The film is a mockumentary, a fictional story shot in the style of a real documentary. It is set in a small Indian town, where three retirees protest machines taking human jobs by posing as household appliances. Bhasin wrote and directed it.
Satish Kashyap, Devendra Dodke and Arindol Bagchi play the three retirees, Mr. Bagchi, Mr. Pimple and Mr. Ganguli. Shubham Kujur, Kalpana Gagdekar and Yash Gonsai also appear in the cast. Gonsai produced the film through Sunshine Pictures, alongside Dheer Momaya and Dar Gai. Aarti Lohia and SPLF Media present it.
The film began its festival run at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France, where it won the Canal+ Prize. At SXSW in Austin, Texas, it took the audience award for best narrative short and the Redbreast Unhidden Award. At Palm Springs International ShortFest, in California, it was named best live-action short under 15 minutes and best comedy short. Variety reported that the Palm Springs win made the film eligible for Academy Award consideration.
Across more than 80 festivals, the film has collected over 20 awards, according to the same report.
The New Yorker has acquired "We Were Here" and will premiere it on the magazine's YouTube channels. It appears in the magazine's Screening Room series under the headline "The Humans Are Coming for A.I.'s Jobs in 'We Were Here'". The New Yorker credits Bhasin as the film's maker.
Short films usually travel through festivals first, and this one has followed that path. Its next stop is a magazine's video channels, where it will reach viewers who may never see a festival programme.
