Oscar-Eligible Short Film We Were Here Gets Priyanka's Backing

An Indian short film backed by Priyanka Chopra Jonas has become eligible for consideration in the Oscar race. ‘We Were Here’, a mockumentary, has drawn attention for its comic take on artificial intelligence and its impact on everyday life.

Priyanka, who serves as an executive producer on the film, welcomed the development. She said the project tackles an urgent topic with playfulness and originality, and she hopes it will connect with audiences far beyond its original circle.

The story centres on three elderly men living in a small town in India. Worried about the expanding reach of AI, they take the shape of household appliances to make their point.

The film has already collected major honours at short film festivals. It won Best Live-Action Short Film and Best Comedy Short at the Palm Springs International ShortFest, and those achievements led to its Oscar eligibility.

In her statement, Priyanka said she joined the project right away because she wanted to support the creators and help their story travel widely. She described the film as fun and relevant at the same time.

Writer and director Pranav Bhasin explained that the idea began small and light-hearted. As he developed it, he grew fond of the three uncles, their bond and their determined resolve to resist change.

Bhasin said Indian reality often feels stranger than fiction, and the mockumentary style let him stay close to real people and places while highlighting how absurd situations can get. He added that he never expected anyone beyond his own imagination to see the logic in the story, so the film’s qualification feels surreal to him.

As a young filmmaker, he said it meant a great deal to work alongside experienced artists such as Andrew Scott and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. He added that the entire team is enthusiastic about taking the film to a broader audience.