Just three years ago, Parineeti Chopra took home the best debutant awards for Ladies vs Ricky Bahl. With her bold roles in Ishqzaade and Shuddh Desi Romance, and as an addict-cum-scientist in Hasee to Phasee; this 24-year-old has proved that she is a star who can act, make money at the box-office and get a mention at the National Awards to boot. With Dawat-i-Ishq all set to hit the large screen, is it time for this small town girl-next-door to move neighbourhoods? Has little Chopra arrived?

Being the Pantene brand ambassador, Parineeti was busy for the day at a promotional event in Mumbai and spoke to Images on Sunday between mics, cameras and frantic apologies for delays.

The transition from being an ordinary person to becoming a Bollywood celeb must be a huge one but Parineeti enjoys every moment of it. “I work crazy hours most days and just go home to sleep. That’s my life, literally! My house is like a hotel used only for sleeping. I do miss my privacy, but I absolutely love being in this industry.”

The real Parineeti is nothing even remotely close to the characters she plays on screen

Four-films old, does she feel a notch higher as an actor?  “I don’t know if I can say that but I do hope and feel that people who are watching my films one after the other feel that my films and performances have improved and that I am more popular, otherwise there is no point to it all,” she says with an spark in her.

She did Ishqzaade with Habib Faisal, who directed her again in Dawat-i-Ishq. “At that time, I was new and raw but now I know his craft much better. I don’t have to struggle to understand what he wants from me as an actor. The work atmosphere is far smoother and the scenes get done far more quickly.”

She found her role in Hasee to Phassee challenging. “Even though it was a regular rom-com, happy film, the role of the mad scientist was quite technical. There were nuances, I had to remember the dialogue, appear mad at the same time and yet make it all look effortless.”

While some critics feel that she is being type cast and others call her the ‘Vidya Balan of the younger generation’, Parineeti is pleased with the way things are.

“If you actually study the four films that I have done, there is nothing common in them. In Ishqzaade I was a gun-toting Zoya, and in Haseee to Phasee, the girl I played was a little mentally off. Then in Shuddh Desi Romance, I played this really modern girl who is always smoking and is in a live-in relationship. I will always try and do something different which is the only way I can move forward.”

Over the years it seems that in Bollywood, actors are like brands that with time they are replaced with newer packaging, because the audience is addicted to the same images, ideology and formula. Does she see herself as a budding Madhuri or Kajol, Tabu or Raveena or even Rani? “I don’t think it works like that at all. Right now there is not any kind of actress that the audiences are craving. One doesn’t know what kind of film one is doing and will it be accepted or not. Success and careers are just based on what film you are doing and how you perform.

She chuckles as she does a SWOT analysis on herself …“My weakness? I cannot abstain from food which is certainly not the greatest thing for an actor. My strength is the amount of hard work that I put into each role; I really try to understand what is required and take care of detail.”

Would Deepika getting married and leaving the industry come as an opportunity for her? “Oh God! Oh God! My opportunity is to look for better and better films. Even though I’m only two years and four films old in Bollywood, people do say nice things about me and my work.”

But what if she suddenly became bored or people got bored with her as an actor? “That is my only threat.” 

Do comparisons with her cousin Priyanka Chopra, worry her? “We are not being compared at all,” she disagreed. “There is absolutely nothing to compare as we are very different personalities. She is 12 years ahead of me in her career. I am her younger sister because our fathers are brothers and that’s the closest you can get. It happens because initially people don’t know you so they wonder what are you bringing to the table. I think I have been able to carve a niche for myself and she is proud of me for that. There are no jealousies at all and I love her too much for that. She is an amazing actor and people must expect me to be a bloody good actor as well.”

Her all-time favourite is Saif Ali Khan, but Mahneesh Sharma remains her best buddy.   “Mahneesh discovered my potential as an actor. He is my mentor and he is the reason I am in Bollywood. I love him the most and he the closest to me professionally and personally. I would love to work with Karan, Aditya Chopra, Imtiaz and Raju Shroff. Maneesh and Adi are only the two people I ask for suggestions and opinions. Thanks to the support of my friends, family and all those around me, I’ve had an uphill career curve so far.”

Is your personal life ‘happening’ too? “No! It is different,” she complained, “I’m very much single and I would really like to meet somebody who I feel affectionate towards and bond with. It has not happened so far, sadly.” She flashed a naughty smile.

Parineeti would fall for a person who understands and is on the same page with her. “Romance is very important! Not the clichéd idea of romance, but the love aspect. It would be nice to be in a relationship with someone I really love; someone who has a great sense of humour since I am quite an enthusiastic person. He should be able to keep up with my pace and be able to understand my way of life,” she grinned and then added, “And he should smell good!”

Does she prefer someone from Bollywood? “I don’t have a preference. Sometimes men inside Bollywood are nicer and sometimes those outside, both have their pros and cons!”

Parineeti chooses to be diplomatic, giving away no masala even when asked about what her family’s response is to her intimate scenes in Ishqzaade, Hasee to Phasee and Shuddh Desi. “When you shoot for the scene, the actor in front of becomes like a wall, and the intimate scene becomes clinical. My family is very supportive of my work. They encourage me to pursue my career, and have been by my side throughout. The first time that I told Priyanka I wanted to be an actor, she advised me on people who will tell you how to do this, that, what to wear, who to meet, teach you the ropes but you really need to do your own thing, follow your own rules and always be yourself. I could not ask for a better and more loving family.”

Parineeti loves the idea of Pakistanis and Indians working together in films, “We are neighbours and extremely talented. It only makes sense to utilise these talents and come together.”

Named after a short film by Prakash Jha, Parineeti means destiny. She set out to become an investment banker but landed in Bollywood; wonder what her destiny holds for her.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, October 5th, 2014