Priyanka Chopra is one of the biggest superstars in the world. Primarily known worldwide for her Bollywood roles, the actress has yet to fully break out in the US. She’s starred in the short-lived series “Quantico” and had a fairly forgettable role as the villain in “Baywatch.” And while she co-stars in the Rebel Wilson comedy “Isn’t It Romantic?” it would appear that her true star-making turn might be in a feature film adaptation of a recent hit Netflix docu-series.
Speaking on the show “Ellen,” Chopra took a break from talking about the upcoming Rebel Wilson meta-rom-com (is that really a thing?) to discuss plans to adapt the recent Netflix docu-series “Wild Wild Country” into a feature film.
For those who haven’t watched “Wild Wild Country,” the series tells the story of the infamous Rajneesh cult, which began as the brainchild of Indian religious guru Bhagwan Rajneesh. According to the actress, the story will, rightfully, focus on the character of Sheela, who served as the right-hand woman to Rajneesh, aka Osho.
“We’re developing it as the character of Sheela, who was this guru who originated from India, [Osho’s] right-hand woman. And she was just devious and created a whole cult in America, brought people here,” Chopra explained. “[The documentary] was amazing, and I’m developing that next for me to star in and produce, which I think would be really cool.”
Chopra is working with legendary filmmaker Barry Levinson on the project now. Levinson, of course, is probably best known for his films “The Natural,” “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “Bugsy,” “Wag the Dog,” and of course, “Rain Man.” It’s not clear if Levinson will serve as just a producer or if he’ll take a more hands-on approach as director.
Obviously, the film is still in the beginning stages, and no release date has been set.