I'm a Sufi Soul

PARINEETI CHOPRA GETS CANDID ON HER FILMS, MARRIAGE AND HOW SHE LIKES TO BALANCE BOTH HER PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIFE WELL

- NAMITA GUPTA

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?