Entertainment: Diversity is in demand, says Priyanka

Actress Priyanka Chopra says “huge stereotypes” still exist in the west about the Indian film industry and it will take more actors from India in mainstream parts to gradually break such long-held notions.

The Quantico star says people expect Indian actors to not know English, even not know acting and just expect them to get up and dance.

“Those are stereotypes you have to fight all the time and I guess it will only come with educating people and having them see Indian actors in mainstream parts, (to make them aware) that we can do this. There is no putting us in a box. But it is going to be a struggle. There is so few of us.”

Priyanka says seeing her in the TV series Quantico prompted people to then watch her Hindi films. Priyanka, who plays villain Victoria Leeds in Baywatch, which releases in India this Friday, says diversity in global entertainment is the need of the hour, not just in roles and but also actors.

“I believe that in the business where there is demand, there will always be supply. Even audiences and people who watch and consume entertainment need to be open to seeing all kinds of people in iconic parts and not just a certain kind of actors or people who look a certain way,” she says.

On whether a Bond movie could be next on her anvil, she says, “You never know. I am in conversation for a couple of films here and a couple in India. I don't know if it will be a villain or not but I always look for doing variety in the parts that I choose and I hope that is what I can do.”

On her experience from her Hollywood debut, Priyanka says while Baywatch is her first American film, it is also her 51st movie. “

Tom Hanks is The Rock’s role model

Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson said, his actor friend, Tom Hanks is a role model for him. The 45-year-old actor took to Instagram where he posted a picture with the Bridge of Spies star and wrote that he respects him for his work ethic and kindness.

Hanks had appeared on the episode of Saturday Night Live to support Johnson, who had hosted the show for the record fifth time.

“(I) want to say thank you to my bud Tom Hanks for taking time out of his busy schedule as he's shooting with Spielberg in NY, to come by and help induct me into the #SaturdayNightLive 5 Timer's Club.

“I look up to this man with such great admiration and respect. His work ethic, talent, humility and most of all his kindness. Values that are important to me. OG Hanks,” wrote Johnson.

In the SNL episode, the Baywatch star “officially” announced he would run for US President in 2020 and chose Hanks as his running partner.

Mirror Game is a smart thriller: Parvin Dabas

Parvin Dabas has done comedies, dramas, horror movies and now he is trying his hands at thrillers with Mirror Game, which the actor says is an intelligent movie without being too smart.

The project has been directed by debutante Vijit Sharma and Dabas says he decided to do the film because of its gripping script. “I just could not put it down. I read it from start to finish. What I liked about the film was that there are a lot of layers without it being over-intellectual.

“There are a lot of psychological films which fail because they try to be too smart or too intellectual. That is where they lose the audience. This is a smart film but not an oversmart one. It is a really good thriller,” Dabas said during a visit to Delhi.

The actor says Christopher Nolan's Inception is one of the best thrillers because the director took a simple concept of dreams and added layers to it. “Mirror Game is about a psychology professor in New Jersey going through a turmoil in his personal and professional lives.” The film also stars Pooja Batra, who plays a psychologist.

“I decided to be part of the film because thrillers are not very common and secondly I have never played a psychologist, so the combination kind of drew me to it. I really liked the script,” Batra says.

The trailer of the film has drawn comparisons with director David Fincher's 2014 psychological thriller Gone Girl but Vijit says there is nothing common in both the films as his plot is completely different from the Hollywood hit.

“It is not a copy of any film. People are comparing it to Gone Girl, which is nice but we have nothing in common with that. I wrote this film because it's challenging to write a thriller especially a psychological thriller. There is science in it, there is human psyche in it. It was nice to challenge myself. The reveals in the story are the USP and I think that is what people will find refreshing.” Vijit said.

Mirror Game releases on June 2.