Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra stunned the world and fans when she returned to the screen after a short hiatus with her drastic weight-loss.
As she completes six years in Bollywood, Parineeti says that the time spent away from the sets took a mental toll on her.
“No, it wasn’t easy,” she says of the nine-month break she took to get into her best shape. “I was away from all the stardom that I had got so used to in all these years of being a part of this industry; so definitely, it was a big blow.”
Parineeti made her Bollywood debut in 2011 as one of the three female leads in Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl. The following year, she proved her acting skills, playing the solo lead in Ishaqzaade, opposite Arjun Kapoor.
Since then, there has been no looking back and it has been a roller-coaster ride for Parineeti, who has had some hits and some misses. The actor, who has starred in films such as Shuddh Desi Romance (2013) and Hasee Toh Phasee (2014), unveiled her new, svelte self in this year’s release, Meri Pyaari Bindu, opposite Ayushmann Khurrana, but the film was rather wide of the box-office bull’s eye. However, her latest release Golmaal Again fared well at the box office.
Parineeti said that a clear plan existed behind the nine-month sabbatical. She said, “I knew that because I’m an actor, I’m in the public eye. Hence, my weight-loss journey got the world’s attention and all that was positive. And I’m still work in progress. I want to look better every single time I step out in front of the camera.”
Apart from being off movies during her rigorous fitness regimen, she was also off the kind the food she loves. She recalled, “It was the most difficult journey of my life because I love eating. I wanted to continue eating, knowing that it was bad for me, and I didn’t want to work out either. That’s the worst combination. Mentally, it was the biggest game for me, and I had to flip that in my mind. That was most important.”
While her physical transformation became the talk of the town, Parineeti is proud that she could inspire people. “Girls have come to me, hugged me, and cried at airports, on planes,” she says. “They come and say, ‘You changed our lives.’ Those are the moments I’ve lived for while undergoing this transformation,” shares Parineeti, adding that she never thought she’d make “this kind of an impact”.
Parineeti admitted that she has been someone who has “struggled with weight” all her life. She said, “Because of my body, I became that person who couldn’t wear what she wanted to. I’d always be conscious that I look bad in pictures. And somehow, one day I decided that this is the time to change. It was enough.”