Decoding “The Matrix Resurrections’ With Priyanka Chopra Jonas

ANOKHI LIFE Founder & CEO Raj Girn had the distinct pleasure of interviewing the undeniable Priyanka Chopra Jonas for her role in The Matrix Resurrections. The world is abuzz with the release of the 4th instalment of the uber successful Matrix (franchise) movie, The Matrix Resurrections by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., will be hitting theatres everywhere today  (December 22nd).

“I had the distinct pleasure of chatting with the fabulous Priyanka Chopra Jonas about her role as the grown up ‘Sati’. She shared why her role was pivotal in the overall plot line of the film, how the film spoke to many relevant themes like choice, fantasy vs reality, the power of love, and the plight of the human condition to seek personal transformation. And we had a moment to reminisce about the last time I interviewed her 7 years ago for ANOKHI magazine’s Spring 2013 issue, when she first entered Hollywood.” ~ Raj Girn

Check out the full interview below!

Priyanka Chopra Jonas chats with Founder & CEO of ANOKHI LIFE, Raj Girn. 

Raj Girn: Hi, everyone. Welcome to another exciting episode of the The ANOKHI UNCENSORED Show. I’m your host, Raj Girn the founder of the umbrella brand ANOKHI LIFE. I’m coming to you today as the world is abuzz with the release of the fourth installment of the uber successful Matrix franchise. The movie The Matrix Resurrections is hitting theaters on December the 22nd. I had the distinct pleasure of chatting with the fabulous Priyanka Chopra Jonas about her role as the grown up Sati. She shares why her role was pivotal in the overall plotline of the film, how the film spoke to many relevant themes like choice, fantasy vs. reality, the power of love and the plight of the human condition to seek personal transformation.

RG: Hi Priyanka, this is Raj Girn from ANOKHI. Oh my gosh, I haven’t interviewed you since 2013. I’m super excited to have this conversation with you. I want to actually begin by saying that what a cool way to be a Desi doctor on the big screen.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas: I don’t even think about that. That’s true. That is true. But I don’t know if she’s just a Desi doctor.

RG: Yes, I stand corrected on that. Let’s talk a little bit about Sati, Priyanka. She is described as “a young woman with a knowledge that belies her years and a capacity to perceive the truth, no matter how muddy the water is.” So this is, you know, basically what is said about her. Me being Indian, I have to bring this in to our conversation. Sati means, “truth” in Sanskrit. So to connect the dots for people who are familiar with its origins in Hinduism, the Goddess Shakti, also known as Sati, is considered to represent truth. So, Priyanka, I want to ask you this. How pivotal is Sati’s ability to see truth play out in the overall plotline of the film? Why is that important?

PCJ: So what happens in this version with Sati and how she sees the truth and follows the truth and shows the truth is something that you’ll have to watch in the movie. But what I can talk about is if you think about where Sati was left in the previous movies and knowing that, you know, she’s a program that was created and she was placed in the care of the Oracle, and the Oracle said that she’s special because she has the ability to create peace between man and machine, between human and machine. So that’s where we left Sati’s journey. And you’re very right with Shakti. [Sati] could have been deleted, you know, if she wasn’t placed where she was. But she’s here. She’s here for a very specific reason. And you see that reason play out in this movie.

RG: The main theme of the film and the series in general is this kind of idea behind fantasy and reality. Where is the fantasy and where’s the reality? Is the end kind of the perceived world that we live in? You know, a.k.a. Earth? Or is it reality? Actually, that’s inside of the kind of that the computer programing. I want to ask you this: You know, the central character Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, really goes through this kind of journey of fantasy vs. reality and you as Sati have a very pivotal role in that. And I know that you can’t share a lot of about it. But what can you share in terms of why you feel her role is so pivotal in kind of this truth telling or maybe fantasy vs. reality story?  

PCJ: Well, first of all, I think The Matrix means something else for everyone, but to me, it is not about fantasy and reality. I think to me, it’s about choice. It’s about consciousness. It’s about what is your reality and what is your personal matrix? We are the center of all our universes, and that’s the idea of The Matrix. It’s like, what is real and what is not, what is perceived reality. And that’s what I love about The Matrix series. It questions all of those things. And I think Sati’s character was very deliberately, specifically placed in the previous movie to sort of circumvent situations that happen in this one.

RG: Absolutely!  I’m curious as to why you felt that this was a role that you needed to say yes to. You’ve done some amazing roles throughout your two decades in world cinema. What was it about this particular role that you felt, you know, “I feel that this needs to be for me”.

PCJ:  Are you kidding? I would have played a table if I had to.

RG: (Laughs)

PCJ: Because it’s The Matrix franchise and I’m super honored to be a part of a legacy franchise like this that I grew up on, that all of us grew up on. I think The Matrix shifted pop culture, and I, as an actor, get the opportunity to be a part of that and especially to play a character that you know,  is a huge responsibility to take on this role. She was left in the previous movie in a very ominous way, as a little girl and I had to figure out who she became as a young woman. I had to figure out what her purpose is and what is the reason she is where she is. And I worked with [director] Lana [Wachowski] tremendously and leaned on Lana to figure that out with her. But it was wonderful to not just work in this incredible franchise and play such a character of responsibility, but at the same time to be with this incredible cast and get an opportunity as an actor to take my craft and my career forward. So in every way, it was a beautiful check in the box for me.

RG: I was watching you play this character and I was thinking, “My God, your lines were so complicated”. Like massive words, long sentences.

PCJ: The Matrix words, right? (laughs)

RG: How did you prepare? How did you memorize that?

PCJ: Well, just to throw something even more difficult into that, I had to say all my lines in the movie, which is like 40, 45 pages or whatever, in one sunset. I had 45 minutes to speak, all of those lines and everything in the whole movie in one sunset, because that’s what we were establishing in San Francisco when we were filming it. And that was my first day of filming. So I’m standing across the entire cast. You know Keanu and talking about Carrie-Anne and Yaya and Jessica and everyone. And seeing these Matrix words and it was terrifying. Yes. Not just because the words mean so much, but they’re hard. But at the same time to do it in front of this prolific cast. And that was my first shot that I gave in the movie. But when I got done with it and everybody clapped and everyone was like, “it’s great!”, you know, that’s what you work for as an artist. You bring your A-game. I prepare. I’m always prepared. That’s something that I do for every character that I play. I think preparation is the first thing that you need to have whenever you have any task in front of you. So I’m very much about prepping. So I was very prepared. But it was still terrifying.

RG: What an important role that was for us, to kind of really be able to bring the two main characters back together again. I mean, at the end of the day, for me, the story was very much like a love story. It really kind of felt very important to me from that perspective. And so I want to ask you another thing that seems to play out really well in this film, and in all the iterations of this film to date is this idea of human transformation. What are your thoughts on that like? What do you feel that people need to take away from this idea of experiencing your truth, from your personal experience?

PCJ: I think that is a big takeaway from The Matrix movies. I think there [are]  so many takeaways from The Matrix movies. What I love about this one specifically is, that love is in the middle of everything and what happens when you know you find love and peace, and especially when Neo and Trinity, what happens when they come together, which is so exciting for me. You know, this movie is a continuation of the first film, and that’s very exciting to be a part of. But I truly believe that’s the quest of every human being. We spend our whole lives trying to figure out what really is our truth and how affected are we by the people around us or by society or by the world or now by social media. What really matters? And I think The Matrix movies really make you think about that in a deep way.

RG: I completely agree with you. You know, the moment that they met and, she knew that this was the choice she wanted to make, I felt like it was a Bollywood movie. Honestly, my heart was pounding at that moment and I thought this is kind of this pivotal moment that we all, as humans go through. We have to make a choice that can dramatically change the course of our lives. You’ve done that. You’ve done that in your career many, many times over. I wanted to ask you this because technology has really changed the game in filmmaking. Especially with the incorporation of A.I. You are not new to the sci-fi film, genre of filmmaking. You were in Krrish 3, Love Story 2050 and Ra.One. So you are very, very familiar with how intricate the choreography is to be able to make sure that what is translating over is really working. How was your experience different with making this film with A.I. also being incorporated from what you’ve done in the past?

PCJ: Working on The Matrix was like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and I’ve had done a lot of movies. The imagination that it takes, the movie takes you into this flight that it takes when it comes to visual effects. It’s a journey like nothing else. It was so special. I’m a huge, huge fan of VFX. I’m a huge, huge fan of technology and special effects. I’m like a full nerd when it comes to watching how special effects happen and especially in movies. And while we’re filming it with a tennis ball and imagining something happening when you watch the movie and you see the gravitas of what has been created, I admire that tremendously, and I think technology and film is just going to get bigger and better.

RG: I want to ask you for those people who have never watched The Matrix movies, why should they watch The Matrix Resurrections?

PCJ: The Matrix Resurrections is a movie which through as a part of the franchise, is sort of the book end of the first movie. But if you haven’t seen the franchise, which there are very few people who probably haven’t. But if you haven’t seen it, I think it’s still a movie that you can come into and experience in such a big way. It does have references to the previous movies, but it’s a movie on its own as well, and it’s just massive. I suggest watching it in the theater. Of course, you can watch it on HBO Max and you can watch it on your TV, but go to the theater and watch this movie if you can. It’s a spectacle, and I think it’s the best Christmas fun movie that you could probably watch with your family and  have a great time. Come back feeling hopeful, come out, feeling happy. I would suggest that.

RG: And I’ve seen it on the big screen, and I can attest to everything that you’re saying. I had all the emotions that you expect to get from a production like this. But you go in there thinking, how can they make it better than before? But they did. I mean, it was. It’s just tremendous. So for those for those people, who are real fans of The Matrix, and they’ve watched all of them, how is this one different? I feel you’ve answered the question, but I just want to encapsulate your thoughts there.

PCJ: I feel like for fans specifically, this movie has so many Easter Eggs and so many little things that get you really excited about previous plotlines or characters, including mine that were positioned in the movie for a reason, and then watching them playing pivotal roles in Neo and Trinity’s journey. I mean, that’s just very cool to me, and I think the for the fans, this movie is going to be really, really exciting.

RG: What was your favorite portion of the film, whether you were in it or whether it was just something that you felt?

PCJ:  I think to me, every time Neo and Trinity get together and especially the last like half an hour of the movie, I was at the edge of my seat like this and I was like, “Oh, it was so…” without giving too much away. That was amazing to me.

RG: It really, really was Priyanka. I just wanted to close off by sharing with everyone that, you know, the last time I interviewed you, as I mentioned at the top was in 2013 for ANOKHI Magazine, when you were just coming into Hollywood. And I asked you this question and the answer that you gave has just stayed with me all these years.

PCJ: What did I say? (Laughs)

RG: No, sweetheart, it’s a game changer, just like you are. I asked you, what would you want to leave as your legacy. And you said three words to me, and I’ll never forget it: To be undeniable. So since you’ve killed that goal, what’s the next milestone for you to hit this particular phase of your career and your life where it seems like there is no roof at the top? You’re not in any box like you really have created a legacy for yourself and for South Asians and for women. What does the next phase of your life look like for you?

PCJ: First of all, I think it looks easier than it probably is not just as a South Asian, but as a woman in Hollywood. Of course, there’s a ceiling. There’s a ceiling that everyone else makes for you. I will say that I’m demanding. I’m not someone who accepts just anything. I fight for my career. I fight for what I think is right for me, and that’s what I did. And I had to educate people about seeing people like me in mainstream Hollywood entertainment and leading parts, in pivotal roles, which was very rare when I joined and we probably had that conversation in 2013, it didn’t happen very much. And that has become my quest. And while I’m working in Hollywood, I’m also right at the beginning when it comes to working here because I’m just about starting to do the roles that I wanted to do. And it’s taken me almost 10 years of pounding the pavement and educating and demanding the parts that I want to play. But it’s really become a quest of mine, even as a producer, to not just create a box for me, but to create a  community that supports each other in entertainment and that stands by each other.

I think we really need to stick together and support each other in whatever endeavors we all take on. And I think that’s going to make us stronger together. And I would love to be the shoulders for people to climb on and get ahead because I would love for my daughter or my children or our kids in the next generation not to inherit the glass ceilings that was set for us. So, you know, I think it’s a responsibility for all of us to collectively work towards, but I have so much I want to do. I want to build the kind of versatility in my career here that I had built in in Bollywood as well. I had the incredible opportunity of working with some amazing filmmakers and actors. I’m just starting to do that here now, and I’m really excited about this next phase in my life and the projects that I’ve been working on and for people to see that.

RG: Absolutely. And I can definitely attest to the many years that you have been in cinema [from] around the world. What you’ve accomplished, Priyanka, is really a testament to the fact that what was impossible once is now possible today. Thank you so much. You make my heart happy.

PCJ: Thank you. Made mine happy speaking to you again. And I hope next time it doesn’t take seven years for us to talk.

RG: Don’t forget guys, the film hits theaters on December the 22nd, and having already seen it  in the theater, I can personally attest to the need to see on the big screen because that larger-than-life experience is absolutely everything. Trust me, guys, take your family, take your friends and your co-workers because the film truly is that good. I’ll see you next time on The ANOKHI UNCENSORED Show.  

The Matrix Resurrections is out in theatres on December 22, 2021. 

Main Image Photo Credit: © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Village Roadshow Films North America Inc.