Priyanka Chopra Jonas has worked on a lot of strong tales over the years, but few have affected her as much as Born Hungry, a documentary about the amazing life of chef Sash Simpson. The movie traces his journey from the streets of India, where he was left behind as a youngster, to his life in Canada, where he created a successful culinary profession based on discipline, talent, and a strong desire to move on from his past. With the help of Priyanka’s production company, Purple Pebble Pictures, and Barry Avrich’s Melbar Entertainment Group, the documentary shows a life that is both painful and uplifting. Priyanka has typically supported stories where emotional truth is hard to deny, but she says she discovered something very compelling in this movie that stuck with her long after she saw it.
She said that what affected her most was how smoothly the documentary shows both the acute agony of Sash’s early existence and the quiet, hard-earned success of the man he becomes. The movie doesn’t sugarcoat the difficulties he endured, such being abandoned, being hungry, and not knowing how to exist as a child alone. It also shows how he got his dignity back through hard work. Priyanka spoke on this balance with clear admiration, stating, “The difference between what you asked me in the question is what makes this movie so moving.” I think Barry Averish did an excellent job of showing how painful and enjoyable it is to see Sash’s narrative and life. For her, the emotional depth of the documentary comes from the fact that it shows both sadness and achievement at the same time. This makes Sash’s life feel both real and hopeful.
The narrative of Sash Simpson is all about a spirit that won’t give up. He lived on the streets as a young boy in India, where he had to rely on his instincts to stay alive. When a Canadian family adopted him, his life changed in a big way. This transition opened up new doors for safety, education, and opportunity. But the movie doesn’t show this change as a miracle fix. It highlights how the scars of early trauma stay with you even in new places, and how loss, distance, and new places can make your identity a hard journey. The documentary shows that Sash’s emotional world is full of concerns about where he fits in and how well he knows himself. This is what gives the movie its depth and makes his final triumph feel real instead of like a fairy tale.
Priyanka will always remember how determined Sash was. She added that his “tenacity and sense of purpose lingered with her,” and that phrase sums up why the movie hits home so hard. When you see him go through kitchens, make meals with care, and develop a career that many people appreciate, you can see that he turned hardship into ambition. His narrative reminds us that suffering can lead to purpose and that some of the most amazing things happen to people who have had to work the hardest to find their place in the world.
Priyanka is connected to the project because she has always been interested in telling stories that go deeper than the surface. As an actor and producer, she has often been drawn to stories that deal with vulnerability, migration, identity, and the strength it takes to put together a life from broken parts. It feels like supporting Born Hungry fits quite well with this picture. She has talked a lot about how stories of being displaced and starting over have a common appeal, even when they are about people from quite diverse origins. In Sash’s voyage, she saw that people all across the world are looking for a place to belong.
Priyanka freely commended Barry Avrich, the director, for how he shaped the documentary. Avrich chooses honesty over dramatic storytelling or overblown emotion. He painstakingly goes over Sash’s past, displaying experiences and events that molded him, yet he always lets the audience feel their own connection to him. The story goes back and forth across locations and historical periods, connecting Sash’s early infancy with the man he becomes as an adult. Priyanka said that the movie’s emotional strength comes from the careful balance between hope and despair.
What makes Born Hungry interesting is not only Sash’s climb to fame as a chef, but also the emotional threads that flow through every part of his life. He takes the memories of the streets with him, not as a burden but as a source of energy. He cooks with the skill of someone who knows what it means to be hungry—not just for food, but also for security, identity, and a sense of purpose. That experience becomes part of his art. When Priyanka talks about the documentary, you can tell that she sees more than just a success story. She sees a picture of survival that many people may relate to, even if their lives are different.
Born Hungry also shows adoption in a way that is soft and unsaid. The movie talks about the good things that adoption did for Sash, but it doesn’t shy away from showing how hard it is to move from one world to another. Questions about who I am come up all the time. Where do I come from? What pieces of my past are still with me even when things around me change? These questions, as the documentary shows, follow Sash around even when he is doing well in new places. This duality—progress and self-reflection—is what makes the documentary feel real.
Priyanka has been working with stories about global identity, diaspora experiences, and the emotional connections that exist between cultures for many years. It seems like supporting a movie like Born Hungry is an extension of that desire. She understands how important it is to tell stories that offer those who don’t often get to communicate their realities on a world stage a chance to do so. Sash thinks her tale is not just inspiring but also important because it shows that ordinary individuals, not only famous or well-known people, can be strong.
As Born Hungry is ready to reach more people on JioHotstar, it could start talks about belonging, memory, change, and the fine line between struggle and success. The documentary makes people think about the lives people construct even when they start out with problems, and how purpose frequently grows greatest in those who never thought their road would be easy. Priyanka’s compliments on Sash’s character and determination make this point more stronger. His narrative shows that people may change their destinies even when the past seems too weighty to run away from.
