Priyanka replaces Deepika as new MAMI Chairperson, says 'always believed Indian cinema has so much to offer'

Four months after Deepika Padukone resigned as the chairperson of the Jio MAMI festival, a new head has been announced. Now Priyanka Chopra Jonas has been roped in to head The Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI). As per a press statement, the actor has been unanimously chosen by Nita M. Ambani (Co-Chairperson), Anupama Chopra (Festival Director), Ajay Bijli, Anand G. Mahindra, Farhan Akhtar, Isha Ambani, Kabir Khan, Kaustubh Dhavse, Kiran Rao, Rana Daggubati, Riteish Deshmukh, Rohan Sippy, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vishal Bhardwaj and Zoya Akhtar.

Priyanka took to her Instagram page and shared a selfie video wherein she spoke about becoming the chairperson and her objectives towards MAMI. The actor is heard saying, "If the goal is to create a platform to showcase Indian cinema to the world, then I'm all in. And with that spirit, I'm proud to be taking on the role of chairperson of the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. I've always believed that Indian cinema from across every part of the country has so much to offer to the world. It's a mission that I had set for myself, and one that's very close to my heart. It was a key objective when I started my production company Purple Pebble Pictures. So I'm looking forward to expanding and championing this even further."

PeeCee further said, "What's exciting for me is how we are reimagining the festival to find its rightful place in the world. That has changed so much in such a short time. The members of the board, the team and I, we've spent the last couple of months discussing our objectives and outlining the pinnacle, we would like for it to achieve the confluence of Indian and World Cinema is something I'm so excited about."

The actor added, "So to begin with, adapting to a new paradigm, Jio MAMI will have an expanded timeline this year. Instead of being a film festival that happens over one week, it is now going to pan out from October 2021 to March 2022. There's much being planned and together with the amazing team. We aim to create something meaningful and impactful in the world of cinema, and one that we can all be so proud of a new chapter begins. we're stepping up and we're stepping out with hope. We're now open."

Priyanka shared the video on her social media pages, wherein she wrote, "Working alongside an amazing team of like-minded individuals, we’re reimagining the festival with a new creative vision that is attuned to the radical changes the world has witnessed in the last two years."

Jio MAMI 2.0 has been officially announced with a new palette and they have let go of the International Competition section. Thus, the festival is giving a chance by creating more awards and grants for Indian films and filmmakers.