Hearing a familiar Bollywood voice in a Disney film is a real treat, especially when it is Priyanka Chopra's voice. But hearing Chopra while listening to music by A.R. Rahman is even better.
Chopra stars as "Ishani" in Disney's Planes, released on 9 August 2013 in the United States. Ishani is the reigning Pan-Asian champion airplane from India who is competing in the most exhilarating around-the-world air race in history. According to Disney,
Ishani is easy on the eyes, but ruthless in the skies. Thanks to her high-speed competitiveness and notable talent, she has amassed more than a billion loyal fans - including one rookie racer who turns to her for guidance. Exotic and mysterious, Ishani is full of surprises, but always has her eye on the prize.
This is not far from a description of Chopra herself. This Indian film star made her debut in the Tamil film Thamizhan in 2002. Since that time she has worked with the biggest names in Bollywood and received many Filmfare awards and nominations for her work, appearing in over 45 films including the box office hits Krrish, Don: The Chase Begins Again, and Barfi!
In addition to acting in films, she participates in stage shows, has hosted a reality show on television, and has written columns for India's national newspapers. In 2012, she released her first single "In My City". Her second single "Exotic" debuted in 2013, and charted in countries such as the United States and Canada.
Parimal M. Rohit, staff writer for the Santa Monica Mirror, recently asked Chopra what similarities she shared with the character Ishani:
She is like me. She has an amazing propeller and so do I. (Laughs). There is a really cute line in the movie where Ishani turns around and she walks away and Dusty looks at her and says, “Wow, look at her propeller.” That was me, that line was me.
Ishani, she is this confident, tough chic who is amazing at what she does. She’s a champion plane from Asia. She’s in a race which is all boys and she’s confident about herself. She’s a lot like me: she’s spunky, she’s fun, she’s sexy. I really wanted Ishani to be a lot like me, and I hope that’s happened.
Chopra is also a philanthropist and voice for girls and young women in India. In 2010, Chopra was appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights. In 2013, in partnership with Chopra and the Delhi Daredevils cricket team, UNICEF launched the initiative "Dare to Care". The purpose of the initiative is to raise your voice, share your ideas and speak out for the empowerment of girls in India.
Chopra's background as a popular actor, singer, and spokesperson helped bring authenticity to Ishani. The confidence of this successful star shines through in the following pre-release promo introducing the character:
In one of the beautifully animated and serene scenes of the film, the main character Dusty (voiced by Dane Cook) joins Ishani on a tour of India including a fly-over of the Taj Mahal:
The music in the background is A.R. Rahman's "Tere Bina" from the film Guru, a 2007 Indian biographical film loosely based on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani, a business magnate who founded the Reliance Industries.
You can watch a live performance of "Tere Bina" by A.R. Rahman from 2008.
Unfortunately, you won't find "Tere Bina" on the Disney's Planes soundtrack; however, it is such a popular song in the A.R. Rahman repertoire that you can easily search, find and download a copy via iTunes or Amazon.com.
You can freely download wallpaper backgrounds and Facebook skins of Ishani from the Disney's Planes website.
Fly high... Loved being the voice of Ishani! Can't wait to see it all again #PlanesOnStarMovies tonight at 9 pm. pic.twitter.com/wOJolFrH1J
— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) September 21, 2014