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Priyanka Chopra Jonas replaces Deepika Padukone as the chairperson of MAMI Film Festival

The Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) got its new chairperson 4 months after Deepika Padukone stepped down from the position. The Board of Trustees of MAMI that includes Nita Ambani (co-chairperson), Farhan Akhtar, Anupama Chopra, Kiran Rao, Rana Daggubati, Rohan Sippy, Zoya Akhtar and others have elected Priyanka Chopra Jonas as the new chairperson. The announcement was made on Tuesday. Apart from Priyanka, the board also welcomed two new members to its fold, acclaimed filmmaker Anjali Menon and renowned filmmaker and archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur.

In a statement, Priyanka said that she is proud to be the chairperson of MAMI. "I’m really looking forward to working alongside these powerhouse women, Isha Ambani, Anupama Chopra, Smriti Kiran and the rest of the team, to take the festival to the next level. I’ve hit the road running... with ideas, thoughts and plans on reimagining the festival to find its rightful place in a world that has changed so much in such a short time. We’re all consuming film and entertainment very differently now and in the process, we’ve expanded the footprint of the cinema that we watch. I have always been a huge supporter and believer in films from across India and together, we hope to create a strong platform to showcase Indian cinema to the world," Priyanka shared. 

Recommended Read: Deepika Padukone steps down as MAMI chairperson, cites her hectic ‘slate of work’ as the reason

According to a statement, adapting to a new paradigm, MAMI 2.0 will have an expanded timeline. Instead of just a week, MAMI will be panning out from October 2021 to March 2022. From October onwards until January, under the Year Round Programme, apart from Dial M For Films it will hold select digital screenings and masterclasses featuring talent from all over the world. The hybrid edition of the festival will take place in March depending on how the COVID-19 situation unfolds in India. The tentative dates of the festival are March 11 to March 15, 2022.

In April, actress Deepika decided to step down from the duties of being the chairperson of MAMI. She took over the position in 2019 but couldn't give her ‘undivided focus and attention’ to MAMI due to her ‘slate of work’. 

(Source: Instagram/Inputs from IANS)

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