Posted:
Parineeti Chopra, the 25-year-old star of Hasee Toh Phasee and Dawaat-E-Ishq, has no problems laying it out there, unlike many of her co-stars. While some of them are perpetually annoyed with the media attention, others like to play it safe by cultivating a squeaky-clean image. Parineeti, meanwhile, prefers to be completely unguarded and uncensored. On an appearance on Koffee With Karan in April, she told the host about her single status. "I have no reason to be single," she sniffed. She sounded more like the girl next door than a well-coached Bollywood starlet. In this conversation with Femina, Parineeti opens up about her incredible journey fro m Manchester Business School to the Yash Raj Films studio in Mumbai, her amazing luck at the movies, her passion for luxury cars and deep-sea diving, and that funny thing called love. Edited excerpts:
You have a triple honours degree in business, finance and economics from Manchester Business School. Did you think you would become an actor?
My childhood was very boring. I grew up in Ambala, a small city in Haryana. My parents had limited resources so my younger brothers, Sahej and Shivang, and I had a modest upbringing. However, my Kenya-based maternal grandparents were affluent. We visited them during summer vacations and travelled to other countries. I always wanted to get out of Ambala, but didn't have enough money. And my father wouldn't have allowed my grandparents to fund my school
education outside India. It was when I was in std 12 that I told my father I wanted to study abroad. I had excellent grades, so I got through a good programme at the Manchester Business School in England. I took a loan and went to Manchester with the hopes of becoming an investment banker.
You must have been heartbroken when your dreams of a banking job didn't materialise.
After grad school, I moved into a rented apartment in London in 2009, and started looking for jobs. I didn't get one, even though I interviewed at several banks. The economic recession had hit and people who interviewed me said that they couldn't hire me as I wasn't a British citizen. I remember breaking down once while waiting at the tube station.
Did you have a back-up plan?
None. I rang my aunt Madhu (Priyanka Chopra's mother) and asked her to find me a job in Mumbai. Banks all over the world were not hiring and I was only trained to work in the banking sector. That very night I packed my bags and put them out for shipping. I told my father about my decision from Heathrow Airport and he was very upset because we had spent a lot on my education and house in London. I assured him that I'd be back in six months after things eased out a bit.
Your transition from banking to filmdom seems quite breezy. How did you land a marketing and PR job at Yash Raj Films?
I was visiting Priyanka on the sets of a film at the Yash Raj Films studio, and I went around asking if they were hiring in their finance and accounts department. I met Rafiq (Gangjee) who heads marketing and communications, and he offered me an unpaid internship after I cleared a few rounds of interviews. I became a marketing and communications executive in six months.
Since you already had a famous cousin in the film industry, were you remotely interested in filmmaking?
I started taking an interest in films in 2011, and by the end of the year I wanted to try my hand at acting because I was in love with the medium. I was already looking up courses at film schools and had enrolled at a gym. Funnily enough, two days after I resigned from YRF, Maneesh (Sharma, director) and Adi (Aditya Chopra, producer) offered me a three-film deal.
When did Maneesh ask you to audition?
I owe my life in movies to Maneesh. I used to meet him every day while marketing Band Baaja Baraat. I spent considerable time with him, noting down movie trivia, setting up interviews and even ordering coffee for him. He must have watched me very closely then and gauged my potential. Two months before I resigned, Maneesh had made me meet casting director Shanoo Sharma. I enacted a scene from Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, which she recorded and shared with Adi.
What was your first meeting with Aditya Chopra like?
I met Adi frequently with the marketing team to discuss strategies for upcoming movies, but I'm sure as a producer he had some concerns...I was fat. But Maneesh felt that I could pull off my character in Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl. I remember meeting him in the capacity of an actor the day Maneesh told me that I've landed a three-film deal. I had to find my way to his office, which is one of the most secretive places in the YRF campus. The first thing he said was that he liked my audition, and was looking at me as a long-term leading talent. He said, "If all goes well with Ricky Bahl, we will see what can be given to you next." So he made it clear right at the outset that I had to work hard and prove myself. I cried and thanked him profusely.
What are your impressions of him today?
He is a mystery for most, but I think he is one of the coolest people around. Despite being the most powerful and successful producers of our time, he is very approachable, too. He will chat with you as if you are the only person who matters to him.
Considering that you had an upbringing far removed from films, what was your parents' reaction to your decision to join films?
I had to fly to Ambala, sit my parents down and tell them that after aspiring to become an investment banker for 10 years, I was making a switch to acting. I wasn't worried about my mum because I can twist her arm and make her agree to anything. But my father was concerned about my safety, considering the film industry reputation. But when I told him that I had landed a film, and was going to sign a three-film deal, he couldn't say anything.
Did you grow up watching movies?
I didn't watch any films. I used to think I had far more intelligent things to do than just watch films. I was a nerd, really.
From where did you draw emotions required for your characters in films like Ishaqzaade and Shuddh Desi Romance? Did you ever rely on your own experiences
of falling in and out of love?
I usually depend on my director while determining the emotional graph of my character. During my school years, I had participated in a lot of skits and musicals. I can sing as well. But in school there was no room for romance. My father is a singer, and had been part of several mythological plays in his youth. He believes I have inherited some of my craft from him (laughs).
As you moved on from one film to the next, what did you think were your strengths and weaknesses?
My weakness was my weight. Every actor claims she is a foodie, but I'm really a big eater. I'm not happy until I eat a lot. I have to keep my weight under constant check. My biggest strength is that I can become the character I play in a film. I put in as much research as I can and do workshops before getting on the set so that my director doesn't feel short-changed.
Is losing weight and having a certain body type almost a non-negotiable deal for young actors today?
I feel one should look his or her best. I know I'm overweight even now. But it's unforgivable to look
wrong on a visual medium, especially when complete strangers are paying a couple of hundreds to watch you at a multiplex.
Adulation came your way after Ishaqzaade, your first film as lead, released. You've hit the bull's eye every time ever since. What's your formula?
I take my time to pick my roles. After Ishaqzaade released in May 2012, I took nine months to sign the next film. I feel every movie should take me forward, and when I look back at my filmography, I should feel proud of the characters I portrayed. So I will not do a film just for the sake of money, the male co-star or an exotic location.
Do you feel that your vibrant personality lands you similar girl-next-door roles in most movies?
Yes, filmmakers choose me for certain kind of films based on what they have seen of my personality. But it's in my hands to make sure that I do diverse roles.
Who are some of the friends you've made in the industry?
Maneesh is my best friend. I'm also close to my co-stars Arjun (Kapoor), with whom I hang out at
Yash Raj Films studio all the time, Ranveer (Singh) and Siddharth (Malhotra). My Dawaat-E-Ishq co-star Aditya (Roy Kapur) is also someone I get along with famously"we often go out for dinner. I'm also friends with Alia (Bhatt).
You have a triple honours degree in business, finance and economics from Manchester Business School. Did you think you would become an actor?
My childhood was very boring. I grew up in Ambala, a small city in Haryana. My parents had limited resources so my younger brothers, Sahej and Shivang, and I had a modest upbringing. However, my Kenya-based maternal grandparents were affluent. We visited them during summer vacations and travelled to other countries. I always wanted to get out of Ambala, but didn't have enough money. And my father wouldn't have allowed my grandparents to fund my school
education outside India. It was when I was in std 12 that I told my father I wanted to study abroad. I had excellent grades, so I got through a good programme at the Manchester Business School in England. I took a loan and went to Manchester with the hopes of becoming an investment banker.
You must have been heartbroken when your dreams of a banking job didn't materialise.
After grad school, I moved into a rented apartment in London in 2009, and started looking for jobs. I didn't get one, even though I interviewed at several banks. The economic recession had hit and people who interviewed me said that they couldn't hire me as I wasn't a British citizen. I remember breaking down once while waiting at the tube station.
Did you have a back-up plan?
None. I rang my aunt Madhu (Priyanka Chopra's mother) and asked her to find me a job in Mumbai. Banks all over the world were not hiring and I was only trained to work in the banking sector. That very night I packed my bags and put them out for shipping. I told my father about my decision from Heathrow Airport and he was very upset because we had spent a lot on my education and house in London. I assured him that I'd be back in six months after things eased out a bit.
Your transition from banking to filmdom seems quite breezy. How did you land a marketing and PR job at Yash Raj Films?
I was visiting Priyanka on the sets of a film at the Yash Raj Films studio, and I went around asking if they were hiring in their finance and accounts department. I met Rafiq (Gangjee) who heads marketing and communications, and he offered me an unpaid internship after I cleared a few rounds of interviews. I became a marketing and communications executive in six months.
Since you already had a famous cousin in the film industry, were you remotely interested in filmmaking?
I started taking an interest in films in 2011, and by the end of the year I wanted to try my hand at acting because I was in love with the medium. I was already looking up courses at film schools and had enrolled at a gym. Funnily enough, two days after I resigned from YRF, Maneesh (Sharma, director) and Adi (Aditya Chopra, producer) offered me a three-film deal.
When did Maneesh ask you to audition?
I owe my life in movies to Maneesh. I used to meet him every day while marketing Band Baaja Baraat. I spent considerable time with him, noting down movie trivia, setting up interviews and even ordering coffee for him. He must have watched me very closely then and gauged my potential. Two months before I resigned, Maneesh had made me meet casting director Shanoo Sharma. I enacted a scene from Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, which she recorded and shared with Adi.
What was your first meeting with Aditya Chopra like?
I met Adi frequently with the marketing team to discuss strategies for upcoming movies, but I'm sure as a producer he had some concerns...I was fat. But Maneesh felt that I could pull off my character in Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl. I remember meeting him in the capacity of an actor the day Maneesh told me that I've landed a three-film deal. I had to find my way to his office, which is one of the most secretive places in the YRF campus. The first thing he said was that he liked my audition, and was looking at me as a long-term leading talent. He said, "If all goes well with Ricky Bahl, we will see what can be given to you next." So he made it clear right at the outset that I had to work hard and prove myself. I cried and thanked him profusely.
What are your impressions of him today?
He is a mystery for most, but I think he is one of the coolest people around. Despite being the most powerful and successful producers of our time, he is very approachable, too. He will chat with you as if you are the only person who matters to him.
Considering that you had an upbringing far removed from films, what was your parents' reaction to your decision to join films?
I had to fly to Ambala, sit my parents down and tell them that after aspiring to become an investment banker for 10 years, I was making a switch to acting. I wasn't worried about my mum because I can twist her arm and make her agree to anything. But my father was concerned about my safety, considering the film industry reputation. But when I told him that I had landed a film, and was going to sign a three-film deal, he couldn't say anything.
Did you grow up watching movies?
I didn't watch any films. I used to think I had far more intelligent things to do than just watch films. I was a nerd, really.
From where did you draw emotions required for your characters in films like Ishaqzaade and Shuddh Desi Romance? Did you ever rely on your own experiences
of falling in and out of love?
I usually depend on my director while determining the emotional graph of my character. During my school years, I had participated in a lot of skits and musicals. I can sing as well. But in school there was no room for romance. My father is a singer, and had been part of several mythological plays in his youth. He believes I have inherited some of my craft from him (laughs).
As you moved on from one film to the next, what did you think were your strengths and weaknesses?
My weakness was my weight. Every actor claims she is a foodie, but I'm really a big eater. I'm not happy until I eat a lot. I have to keep my weight under constant check. My biggest strength is that I can become the character I play in a film. I put in as much research as I can and do workshops before getting on the set so that my director doesn't feel short-changed.
Is losing weight and having a certain body type almost a non-negotiable deal for young actors today?
I feel one should look his or her best. I know I'm overweight even now. But it's unforgivable to look
wrong on a visual medium, especially when complete strangers are paying a couple of hundreds to watch you at a multiplex.
Adulation came your way after Ishaqzaade, your first film as lead, released. You've hit the bull's eye every time ever since. What's your formula?
I take my time to pick my roles. After Ishaqzaade released in May 2012, I took nine months to sign the next film. I feel every movie should take me forward, and when I look back at my filmography, I should feel proud of the characters I portrayed. So I will not do a film just for the sake of money, the male co-star or an exotic location.
Do you feel that your vibrant personality lands you similar girl-next-door roles in most movies?
Yes, filmmakers choose me for certain kind of films based on what they have seen of my personality. But it's in my hands to make sure that I do diverse roles.
Who are some of the friends you've made in the industry?
Maneesh is my best friend. I'm also close to my co-stars Arjun (Kapoor), with whom I hang out at
Yash Raj Films studio all the time, Ranveer (Singh) and Siddharth (Malhotra). My Dawaat-E-Ishq co-star Aditya (Roy Kapur) is also someone I get along with famously"we often go out for dinner. I'm also friends with Alia (Bhatt).
Have you been on the other side of the fan-star equation at any of these gatherings?
I'm always in awe of actors and filmmakers. I usually save their full names on my phone. I've been a fan of Saif Ali Khan all my life. The first time I met him I told him that I was a big fan in as many ways as possible. So much so that he said, "Please stop before I go red in the face." Arjun (Kapoor) had introduced us on the sets of Race 2. He is amazing. I love him! I even told Kareena (Kapoor) at a party that I adored her husband and she said with a smile, "It is okay."
There are rumours of you dating Maneesh Sharma. Are you single or in a relationship?
I'm single at the moment. I hate to be single but love is hard to come by.
When was the last time you were attracted to a man?
I cannot name him, but I met someone desirable just 10 days ago.
Would you make the first move?
I'm totally capable of doing that (laughs).
Besides films, what are the other loves of your life?
Singing"I trained for six years growing up. I also studied music as part of my honours degree at
business school. I hope to start singing in films soon. I discovered the delights of diving while doing a water sequence for Shaad Ali's Kill Dil. I was trained by deep-sea divers who were assisting us on the shoot. I need two more dives to be a certified diver.
CASHING IN ON SUCCESS
Are you happy with the pay cheques you've earned so far?
I don't get paid well for the films (as compared to male co-stars). But what I'm happy about is the money that comes from endorsements (she's currently the face of over 10 brands) and events.
What did you do with your first film pay cheque?
I bought a MacBook Pro and speakers, and deposited the rest in my account.
What was the first big purchase you made?
I used to drive an Audi, which my parents are using in Ambala because now I have a Jaguar XLJ. I also bought a Skoda Octavia Superb for my parents. Next, I'm planning to buy a house in Mumbai.
Where do you invest your money?
I'm not a jewellery person so I like to spend on quality shoes and bags. But in terms of serious investments, my money goes into mutual funds and real estate. I have bought some properties in Ambala and Chandigarh so far.
I want to look my best. I'm working on my body. For the first time I got highlights in my hair for the role in Kill Dil, and it really suits me. I'm not concerned about the public image I have. I just want to stay true to my craft and look the part in my films.
What are your future plans?
It's important to me that I choose the right films and the right characters. I also want to explore life outside of films. I don't want to get obsessed with my career and let my personal life take a backseat.
Finally, how do you want to be remembered in the industry?
I want to be known as an actor who can do any role, and do it bloody well. And I should be remembered for it in the years to come.
I'm always in awe of actors and filmmakers. I usually save their full names on my phone. I've been a fan of Saif Ali Khan all my life. The first time I met him I told him that I was a big fan in as many ways as possible. So much so that he said, "Please stop before I go red in the face." Arjun (Kapoor) had introduced us on the sets of Race 2. He is amazing. I love him! I even told Kareena (Kapoor) at a party that I adored her husband and she said with a smile, "It is okay."
There are rumours of you dating Maneesh Sharma. Are you single or in a relationship?
I'm single at the moment. I hate to be single but love is hard to come by.
When was the last time you were attracted to a man?
I cannot name him, but I met someone desirable just 10 days ago.
Would you make the first move?
I'm totally capable of doing that (laughs).
Besides films, what are the other loves of your life?
Singing"I trained for six years growing up. I also studied music as part of my honours degree at
business school. I hope to start singing in films soon. I discovered the delights of diving while doing a water sequence for Shaad Ali's Kill Dil. I was trained by deep-sea divers who were assisting us on the shoot. I need two more dives to be a certified diver.
CASHING IN ON SUCCESS
Are you happy with the pay cheques you've earned so far?
I don't get paid well for the films (as compared to male co-stars). But what I'm happy about is the money that comes from endorsements (she's currently the face of over 10 brands) and events.
What did you do with your first film pay cheque?
I bought a MacBook Pro and speakers, and deposited the rest in my account.
What was the first big purchase you made?
I used to drive an Audi, which my parents are using in Ambala because now I have a Jaguar XLJ. I also bought a Skoda Octavia Superb for my parents. Next, I'm planning to buy a house in Mumbai.
Where do you invest your money?
I'm not a jewellery person so I like to spend on quality shoes and bags. But in terms of serious investments, my money goes into mutual funds and real estate. I have bought some properties in Ambala and Chandigarh so far.
I want to look my best. I'm working on my body. For the first time I got highlights in my hair for the role in Kill Dil, and it really suits me. I'm not concerned about the public image I have. I just want to stay true to my craft and look the part in my films.
What are your future plans?
It's important to me that I choose the right films and the right characters. I also want to explore life outside of films. I don't want to get obsessed with my career and let my personal life take a backseat.
Finally, how do you want to be remembered in the industry?
I want to be known as an actor who can do any role, and do it bloody well. And I should be remembered for it in the years to come.
Hindi TV Shows
Veer Hanuman
1