A Minute With: Parineeti Chopra

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For someone who stumbled into acting by chance, Parineeti Choprahas done rather well for herself. The 26-year-old caught people's attention in her debut film "Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl", and was hailed by several critics as the next big thing. But things have fizzled out since then, and after her last film "Daawat-e-Ishq" failed to make a mark at the box office, Chopra was panned for repeating herself. Her latest film is Shaad Ali's Kill Dil, an action film in which she stars alongsideRanveer Singh and Govinda.

Chopra, who started out as a film publicist for Yashraj Studios, spoke to Reuters about the criticism she faced, and why she is OK with laughing at herself.

Q: Can you start by talking about your role in "Kill Dil"?

A. You have to ask me interesting questions.

Q: OK. Everyone says you are getting typecast and doing the same roles all over again. What do you have to say to that?

A. No. Not at all. This criticism is coming after "Daawat-e-Ishq". But to directors, I am always that actress who has nuanced her characters, done different things. How am I being typecast if I play a girl in "Ishaqzaade" or the girl in "Hasee toh Phasee"? I don't see anything in common with them at all. People are very limited and actors always talk about this, that till the time I am wearing a ghagra choli and a bikini, there is no difference between the roles. If I am playing a small-town girl from Chennai or from Bihar, people think it is the same role. That's very sad to see. How can you get typecast in four films?

Q: Do you find that you are being offered roles that repeat your performances in your earlier films, like your debut film "Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl"?

A. No, not really. In "Ishaqzaade" I was a gun-toting aggressive girl. In "Shuddh Desi Romance", I was an independent, living alone, having sex with my boyfriend, mature girl. Which is why I get when there is criticism of my latest film "Dawaat-e-Ishq", because there is a commonality there, but not with my other films.

They confuse me with my real-life personality, which is effervescent, charming, enthusiastic. People tend to confuse the two, I think. Now I realize that the outer image is also important. So in a film like "Kill Dil", for example, I may say the same dialogue as "Hasee toh Phasee" or "Ishaqzaade", but people will think it's a different role, just because I look different. It's just very limited thinking.

Q: What went wrong with Daawat-e-Ishq?

A. Maybe the worlds were similar to the ones in "Ishaqzaade" or "Shuddh Desi Romance", so I accept criticism that I might have repeated myself in that film.

Q: What are your strengths as an actor?

A. I think performance. I give a lot into my performances, which is why I have managed to do well. I haven't done the glamorous films or the run-of-the-mill action films yet. I have managed to stay off that road because, maybe, I have managed to impress people with my performances.

Q: You were part of a spoof video that Alia Bhatt did where she mocked herself. Do you think younger actors are more open to making fun of themselves on public platforms?

A. Yes, yes, definitely. We were just talking about that. We don't think it is such a big deal. Before the video, we were doing it any way, and then the media made it out to be such a cool thing. That's just because we are all genuinely friends. We have the freedom to be ourselves with each other.

So if Alia (Bhatt) calls me and says: "Listen, I f***ked up in Koffee with Karan, and can you please come and be this bitchy actress in my video?", I'll do it for her. It is very cool that today actors are open to doing these things. The audience has opened up so much, and there is so much media that the whole keeping-your-distance-from-the-audience thing doesn't hold ground anymore.

Q: What are you doing after "Kill Dil"?

A. I haven't signed anything. Nobody has offered me a kick-ass script yet. You have to do a film that you fall in love with. That hasn't happened yet.

(Editing by David Lalmalsawma; Follow Shilpa on Twi