Toronto’s Melbar Entertainment Group has announced that actor and producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas and her company, Purple Pebble Pictures, has joined the production team of Born Hungry.

The feature documentary is a gritty human drama about Sash Simpson, a celebrity chef who once survived alone on the streets of Chennai by eating from garbage bins, before ultimately being adopted by a Canadian couple. The doc follows Simpson as he returns to India to find his lost family, armed with only blurry memories.

The film is written and directed by Barry Avrich. Chopra Jonas, Mark Selby, Mary Rohlich and Avrich serve as producers. Executive producers are Jay Hennick, Selby and Avrich.

The partnership was negotiated by IAG Talent, representing Melbar Entertainment Group, and UTA, representing Chopra Jonas.

Born Hungry premiered at the 2024 Palm Springs International Film Festival and will screen at Hot Docs in Toronto on April 26. Sales are led by UTA and IAG.

“Sash’s story immediately captivated me, presenting a stunning opportunity to not only showcase India but to also capture his journey and his profound passion for finding his family and himself,” said Chopra Jonas in a statement. “At Purple Pebble Pictures, we are grounded by the mission of leveraging the power of cinema to tell global stories that shift people’s perspectives, and I am immensely proud of our collaboration on this project.”

Image courtesy of Melbar Entertainment Group