Priyanka Chopra doesn’t step out of her home without doing her puja: Madhu Chopra

Priyanka Chopra is planning a grand overseas release for her Punjabi film, Sarvann, in keeping with the huge turnout for the promotions of the film overseas, especially in Canada.

According to her mother Madhu, Priyanka is very keen that the film reaches out to Punjabi audiences overseas, “There’s a big market for Punjabi films in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Along with Europe, these are all emerging as a great markets. Priyanka is keen that the film reaches out to the audiences there.”

Madhu adds that Priyanka was particularly excited about the huge turnout for the first trailer launch of the film in Toronto, Canada in November.  “She had been there earlier for film festivals and shows but this was the first time she did a promotional visit for her own film and she was thrilled with the overwhelming response. The audiences there are also very excited about her decision to support regional films and are keenly awaiting the film’s release. Also, Amarinder Singh, who was there in the promotional tour has a huge following among the Punjabi audiences in the overseas territory,” says Madhu.

Unlike her last film, Ventilator, in which she had a cameo, Priyanka has not played any role in the film, though there was a misconception that she was doing a guest appearance in the film, when she was shown pictured in a gurudwara, during the promotional campaign, “The portions shown were at the gurudwara during the making of the film, during which Priyanka was present,” Madhu  clarifies.

Sarvann tells the story of a young NRI living in Canada, who goes wayward due to his get-rich-quick ideas and ends up getting involved with the wrong company. He later coincidentally lands in India, where he is guided to a gurudwara after he loses all his belongings. Here he learns about the greatness of Guru Granth Sahib and the true meaning of life, “It conforms to Priyanka’s strategy of making content-driven films. The film brings back nostalgia to the people who are living outside; they will all connect to the lush green fields of Punjab and the gurudwaras. It is the kind of film Priyanka always wanted to make,” Madhu says.

Priyanka herself grounded in her cultural values, stresses her mom, “She is a true-blue Punjabi at heart and a very religious person. She doesn’t step out of the house without doing her puja; she is a god-fearing person. Whichever part of the world she travels to, she greets people with a Namaste. You can’t take India and her culture out of her,” says her proud mom. Sarvann is scheduled to release on the eve of Lohri in Punjab on January 13.