‘The audience is the king’

Back after a short hiatus from films, Parineeti Chopra talks about her fitness, confidence and style game

May 10, 2017 07:58 pm | Updated May 12, 2017 06:23 pm IST

When we meet Parineeti Chopra at Yash Raj Studios, the usually chirpy actress seems more reserved. But before we can pin this on her evolved and matured self, she quickly correct us, “I am still as energetic and cheerful but it is during promotions, that I am fatigued and tired,” she says in context to her upcoming romcom Meri Pyaari Bindu ( MPB ) where she plays the eponymous lead. “Of course, as an actor you evolve. You learn with every film and the way I approach acting now is different from how I did in my first film,” she adds.

A day before the promotional concert at the Bandra Fort, Chopra had to deal with a singer’s worst nightmare when she woke up with throat infection. “I had completely lost my voice and was put on total bed rest for a day with medications. I just prayed to get my voice back just for an hour for the concert,” says the actor who has trained in Hindustani classical music. Fortunately, she was well enough to belt out popular tracks from the film. Chopra has joined the list of actors who have turned to singing and is basking in the glory of her music début with Meri Pyaari Bindu.

Experiencing cinema

The film, set in Kolkata, narrates the journey of two characters through incidents and Hindi film songs that span eras. “Watching the film, will make you forget about Ayushmann Khurrana and Parineeti. You will be engrossed in this beautifully woven tale about two characters,” says Chopra. When asked about her own first film going experience? “[It] was Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in 1995. I was studious and didn’t watch another for the longest time,” says the actor who holds a degree from Manchester Business School, U.K.

Like her co-star, Khurrana, Chopra had heard the script three years ago from Soumik Sen, who was supposed to direct the film then. “At that time, I was doing another film so it didn’t work out but then Maneesh (Sharma) who’s producing MPB offered me the role. He gave it to me at a time when it really clicked and I felt the story is a beautiful one and decided to do it.”

Chopra’s last film Kill Dil in 2014 failed to set the box office on fire and ever since, she has been missing from the big screen. “Through I was still doing events and ads, I took a ten-month break and then began shooting for this film,” she says. “The break was very important for me as I wanted to work on myself and my house.” The actor also underwent a drastic makeover where she worked on her fitness levels and her body. “Time away from the film set can make you reflect on things. Practically, I had two flops but I had the time to think what I should do differently. But having said that, you can never plan. In this profession, the audience is the king, but mentally, it gave me a lot of peace and happiness and confidence to come back on the sets so much more motivated.”

The sartorial factor

The 28-year-old has been upping her style quotient and sporting some really drool-worthy ensembles at events and awards ceremonies. Chopra quickly credits her close friend and stylist Sanjana Batra for her sartorial choices. “Ever since she has been associated with me, the way I think about clothes, looks have completely changed,” says Chopra. “I have become much more of a risk taker. And now that I have transformed my body, I am able to experiment, something I never did earlier. And that is only because of the confidence I have in my stylist,” she says.

This confidence also helps Batra push the envelope when it comes to dressing Chopra. “Today when the paparazzi is everywhere and you are not allowed to make one bad move, stylists become very important,” says Chopra. “I think a stylist and an actor’s relationship has to be really smooth. Sanjana is one of my closest friends in the world so she and I have this tuning. When we are thinking about a look, usually we are on the same page and even when I don’t understand a look, I completely leave it up to her and I trust her,” she emphasises.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.