Parineeti Chopra: If you haven’t gone through ups and downs, you have had a very boring life

Her talent is not unknown to movie lovers, she owns every character she plays and slips into it like she’s almost lived the part. Yes, she’s had a fair share of lows, but like the actress rightly says, “You fight every battle and come out stronger.” In a chat with BT, Parineeti Chopra talks about success, setbacks and the roles that she is now obsessed with. Read on...

So, we have all been in lockdown mode for over two months, with things gradually opening up now.But, what were you doing just before everything came to a sudden halt?
We had just started the promotions of 'Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar', and I remember calling my marketing team and telling them, ‘Guys, this (COVID-19) seems to be spreading, we should not be stepping out for promotions, as we will be interacting with so many people.’ At that point, it felt like a drastic step, but the next day, we cancelled all our plans. I saw this coming, but I didn’t realise the magnitude of it.
Tough times teach you some of life’s best lessons. There was a period (around 2016) when you took a break as you were going through a rough patch — professionally and personally. You even went through depression and came out of it stronger. What did that phase teach you about life and yourself?
Well, at the risk of sounding like a sadist, let me tell you that when something really bad or challenging happens in my life, I get a little excited. I tell myself that I’ve gone through it and come out of it feeling proud of the person that I have become. Now, I actually believe every quote that I’ve read online, which says that failure teaches you a lot more than success. I didn’t believe it till it happened in my life. I hit rock bottom in every department of my life, and I actually thought that I would not survive it. But then, you fight every battle and come out stronger. In fact, if you haven’t gone through ups and downs, you have had a very boring life.


Such phases also make you value everything you have so much more — success, fame…all of that.
I am not wishing tragedies upon anyone, but I truly believe that when you go through a setback, you appreciate life so much more. I feel that I grew up during the low phase of my life. And I definitely think that today, anything that I do, is a result of what I learned during that period.
You already had a solid body of work before the brief slump happened. Over the years, you have proven yourself as a stock of talent, so I guess that it made the process of getting back on your feet easier. Soon after, you saw huge success with 'Golmaal Again' (2017), right?
I had two films that year, 'Meri Pyaari Bindu' and 'Golmaal Again'. The first one didn’t do well at the box office, but the other one did. And I said to myself…this is exactly how everything balances out. There is so much to be thankful for, so there’s no need to be depressed. Also, I’ve never wanted to be an actress in my life, I’ve always wanted to do something else. So, my heart and my brain are not completely consumed by the industry and that’s why I am able to distance myself and do more with my life.
You have said that your upcoming film, 'The Girl On The Train', is the toughest film that you have done...
That one and 'Saina' (the biopic on badminton champion Saina Nehwal) are undoubtedly the toughest films I’ve done. I’ve literally given my heart and soul to them and I feel like I am more a producer of those films than an actress. 'The Girl On The Train' sealed in my mind the kind of actress I want to be. I think all my films before 'The Girl On The Train' were a personal experiment to find what I wanted to do, and with this film, I found it. I was obsessed with being those two characters in both the films, I was obsessed with performing. It gave me clarity on how I want to select films from now on.