Actor, singer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Parineeti Chopra started her journey with business, finance and economics and moved to doing impactful roles on the silver screen. Parineeti has consistently defied expectations and forged her own path. She’s not only an accomplished actor, but also a certified scuba diver, a talented singer and a passionate foodie. We caught up with the actress when she visited Bengaluru recently on the invitation of Ficci Flo.
Education is the key to success… how has this philosophy guided you?
Destiny navigated the path for me. I was very focussed on my life plans and wanted to be an investment banker. We were not so well off so I asked my dad to arrange funds for me so I could go to the US to study and conquer this world…in the world of finance. Man proposes and God disposes came true for me, as this wannabe finance girl graduated in the year of recession and did not get any job as there were no jobs. Out of sheer desperation, I had to come back to India. I couldn’t dare to call my father up and tell him to continue the loan for me as I had not found a job. I came to Mumbai and one day my sister was shooting a film called Pyar Impossible at Yash Raj Studios and I, her younger sister just went to see her at her shoot. When I went there I realised that maybe the films and the film industry were not affected by the recession. I met the marketing manager and he gave me the job and to sought a job, within a year and a half I got an offer for acting.
I made mistakes in front of the world as I didn’t come prepared. I didn’t have a team of people prepping me to become an actor. I put on weight, lost weight and put on weight again, made hit films; there were also disasters and successes. Destiny was doing it all for me. I was just reacting to whatever God had set out for me.
How has knowledge and education empowered you in your journey?
I’m quite professional and academic in my dealings. I’m also spontaneous, but a huge part of me is this organised girl, who is always on time for meetings, takes notes, does excel sheets and all that. Education has given me discipline. I’d done internships in various companies and that taught me to switch off after work. It’s not easy to do that in films because as an actor you’re always thinking and communicating.
You’re as good as your last movie. How do you handle that pressure and not get demotivated sometimes without letting it affect your mental health?
I come from an amazing and very humbling non-filmy family set up. They don’t allow me to rejoice too much when I’m doing well and they’re the first ones to make me feel better when things are not going well. They don’t understand the industry so when I come home from work we don’t discuss work and that way I’m detached. Now I’m going to tell you about my philosophical side – I’m a Sufi soul. I treat my career as just one part of my life, just like how sleep, family, travel, talking to friends, eating and everything else is a part of it. Career is as important as all these other things. That helps me remain normal as far as possible, because in such a public profession where millions of people can affect you with whatever they have to say about you, it can really break you. It’s difficult being an actor emotionally. If I didn’t have this family system, then I would be emotionally imbalanced which is a deal breaker for me.
You have been loved by everyone in Chamkila. Your disposition is different; you’re very silent and very different from your other roles.
Yes, it’s difficult for me to be silent. Chamkila was a big sacrifice and a social experiment plus my biggest risk so far. It required me to do something that usually actors don’t want to do – put on 20 kgs for the film. I put on 16 kilos and till today haven’t been able to lose the weight. When I signed the film, I was in top shape and had worked so hard to get there. When I went to meet Imtiaz Ali Sir I was dying to do this film. I’m Punjabi, so Chamkila and Amarjot are legends in our lives. He told me you’re perfect for the role as I want you to shoot in Punjab and sing live on the sets. I told myself I really need this, but something looks wrong here. So I asked him and he replied, “The problem is that you don’t look like her. We had about three months to go. To look like Amarjot ji is a big jump, if you’ve seen her pictures, you’ll know. I really wanted to look chubby and pregnant, to look as close to her as possible and told him, “Sir, I’ll do it.” I knew if I was imagining the way it would turn out to be, then I will gain more from that than what I will lose in this process. I knew when the film comes it will be a good one and thankfully Chamkila was received so well. For me and Diljit and for Imtiaz, it was huge and we won great accolades. With this social experiment I lost some two years’ worth of other work, but look at me now. So, it’s all good in the end.
What does food mean to you? Did you have to do anything to fit into the Bollywood heroine avatar?
I’ve had a crazy relationship with food. I’ve come from being crazy overweight when I came to India for the first time and then I was launched as heroine. Then I lost weight as I was trying something new and then I put on weight again for the role and am trying to lose weight again. I love food. Now I’m in Bangalore and want to eat only south Indian food.
I’ve never struggled to fit into that whole Bollywood heroine thing. In fact, when I started my career, I started from a very atypical, non-glamourous girl. I always said no matter what size you are, just be fit. Fitness is about your health, your lifestyle, your mental state and nothing to do with your size. I have been super fit when I had a 24” waist but then I have also been fit when I had a 30” waist. I was just looking different because of my lifestyle and my choices and there’s nothing wrong with that. Somewhere where we go wrong is the definition of slim and fit and fat. Don’t worry about body image, just worry about how to sleep well, eat well, drink well, and laugh well. We all have limited time on this earth so please don’t waste time.
How did you get into scuba diving and what inspired you to take it up?
Scuba diving is one of the best hobbies you can have and a wonderful, meditative sport. It allows me to have friendships with people I would never meet. I go on a boat for 10 days, make new friends, see the underwater world and it is so beautiful. I stumbled upon it when I was shooting for a film. There were underwater cameras for hours and I asked how are they breathing? So, my instructor said you should learn and I started learning. I asked them what is the highest level I can do in scuba diving and so I became a rescue diver and then a master diver. I look forward to my dive trips.
How did your experience in the film industry shape you as an entrepreneur?
The film industry is one of the largest industries in the world. We have consumers all over the world who we don’t know and are creating products and have to sell the most difficult product which is emotion on screen. When I was in banking I used to look down upon the industry. I used to think what an easy life this is, just be glamourous and that’s it. I was so wrong. There is a reason, why there are so many highs and lows in this industry. It’s because the gamble is so high. Actors have to act on cue with limitations like time or budget etc. My experience in the film industry has taught me to really delve into the reality of an industry before investing in it. In my year one, I was operating on a very superficial level, but today I take the effort of becoming an insider of the business and trying to think from their point of view. I have a Sufi soul so I cannot sell something I don’t believe in.
How do you handle all the stress that comes with this profession?
I balance my professional and personal life well. My principal source of joy has to be life, and not just work or just family. I work very hard at creating memories. I always try to break monotony as it really bores me. It could be taking days off, travelling, reading or doing a random sudoku puzzle one day, but anything to give enough of a break to come back jumping with excitement the next day. We Indians are workaholics and love telling people that I hardly got three hours of sleep last night.
What piece of advice has had the most significant impact on your life and career? How do you choose roles?
Life is morbid. Journey is short so don’t waste time in trivial things. I decide on what’s important and why I should give it time and what is not important for me, I don’t. I’m very reactive to any opportunity that presents itself. I did do films for some wrong reasons and then I learnt the lesson that this doesn’t work for me. I have learnt a lesson that I have to look for something that I like to do, where I get some homework to do. If it’s a nice set of people working together, then I’m on.
Is there any misconception or myth that you’d like to debunk?
I want to debunk the myth that acting is easy work. People only see the end product, the glamour, song and dance. It’s crazy work and it’s also an industry of creation. Even to write a simple song someone has to write something that resonates with people out there. People can just watch a film and say I didn’t like it or I loved it. It’s not easy at all.
How do you look at your social responsibilities? What advice would you give women on staying true to themselves in a world dominated by men?
I’m fiercely protective of women. I grew up in a household that didn’t know anything about gender equality. I think I got more opportunities and support that my brothers did. I was the oldest daughter and I went abroad to study. There’s absolutely no reason why women should be any less than anybody else. What’s gender got to do with it? Whoever has more brain or more capabilities should get more opportunities.
Your life story and your identity is very inspiring with education, movies, entertainment and hard work. What is that one thing that keeps you hungry?
That’s maybe because I’m a small-town girl. We didn’t have everything when we were growing up. My father is a fighter and till today he’s a fighter and I think that bhook (hunger) is there because we come from humble beginnings.
RAPID FIRE
Small towns or big cities?
My grandparents used to live in Kenya and I used to visit them and I was from a small town in Ambala, so I love both. We used to visit Kenya and I loved the safaris there and loved the Army Cantt life in Ambala.
Describe your perfect day off in 3 words?
Pyjamas and food all day and not getting out of bed all day. I’m a pizza girl and I’m also a Dal Makhni and roti girl.
Investment banker, actor, entrepreneur, singer, philanthropist…what next? Is politics on the cards?
No I’m going to leave that to my husband, Raghav. Politics is not for me. Not that I’m against it. I just don’t understand it and I can’t. He’s more than enough politics for the house and for the country.
Morning person or night owl?
Morning person. I’m that person who wakes up very happy, chirpy and fresh.
Favourite holiday destination?
Always the water. It could be anywhere where I can dive into the water. And Raghav is a mountain person.
Nickname you like more? Pari or Tisha?
My family calls me Tisha. But I like Pari more.
Your favourite book?
I love to read Robin Sharma. He gives me nice life advice.
Childhood celebrity crush?
Saif Ali Khan. I met him at Bebo’s party. But first I told Kareena that I love your husband and she said it’s ok, so I went to him and told him. They’re very sweet.
Who would you like to have dinner with?
David Attenborough.
If you were to meet any fictional character who would it be?
Nancy Drew.
Parineeti is…
Brutally honest! I love making people laugh. It’s my greatest joy and I’m also very empathetic and sensitive as a person.
An advice?
Choose yourself over anyone else every day. It’s not selfish, it’s smart. Live your life and be happy.