Parineeti Chopra: The Slim Upgrade

Parineeti Chopra was a name to reckon with right from her first release itself. A career sky-rocketing since the time she entered the industry, hit a road block when the roles became the same ol’. A break in the year 2015 saw the actress revamp her image after losing oodles of weight with renewed confidence, Parineeti has more coming her way. In a candid chat, Parineeti talks to Stuti Srivastava about her transformation and what it takes to be unique in Bollywood.

- Stuti Srivastava

For you, the year 2015 was all about losing weight and being fit. How important is it in the Bollywood industry for actors to feel beautiful from inside and outside?

Equally important, because I believe that sometimes, how you look outside determines your feelings inside. When I was overweight; there were days when I didn’t feel good about myself. I would want to wear a pair of shorts but I couldn’t, because they weren’t flattering. Sometimes, even the small things make you feel good. When you have a fit body, it gives you confidence, which I feel now. I’m still working on my fitness, and the fitter I get the better I feel. It’s a Catch-22, how you feel inside will inspire your look outside and how you look outside will inspire how you feel from inside.

Isn’t body image more to do with how you feel about yourself, because people liked you even when you were slightly overweight? It established a fact that Bollywood is no more stereotyping body image.

Actually, that’s not entirely true. Yes, a lot of people liked me for the difference that I brought about in the personality of an actress in Bollywood. But there were people who were also criticising me; the fashion police gave me flak for my clothes and my dress sense. Also, I feel when you’re overweight, clothes cannot look the best on you. And the only way it could’ve have happened was if I worked on myself. It was difficult because I’m not a sports person and I’m not inclined to get up at five every morning and hit the gym. I had to take some time off and work towards a fitter me, using my own space. Post the weight loss, the same people say that I looked better then. I think they should keep quiet now.

Does this indicate that the industry focuses more on body image than on one’s body of work?