Four Parineeti Chopra Performances We Can Watch Over and Over!

On Parineeti Chopra’s birthday, here are four films we still remember her for!

When Ladies v/s Ricky Bahl released 8 years ago, I took home a mildly engaging film but remembered Parineeti Chopra’s spunky Dimple Chaddha. Over the years the ‘spunky’ girl in Bollywood has become sort of a cliche, but Chopra’s natural zest made her characters memorable. She is effortlessly natural on screen and when she made her debut her personality was in stark contrast to the leading ladies she was competing with. Her candor in the movies filtered into her off-screen demeanour. At a time when most actors were striving for the best body, Chopra won us over with characters that felt real, and a personality the average Indian could relate to. It’s a known fact that Chopra quit a lucrative career in investment banking to become an actor, and as she turns a year older we list four of her performances that prove that it was indeed the right decision.

1. Ladies vs Ricky Bahl (2011)

Maneesh Sharma’s Ladies vs Ricky Bahl brought back the hit pair of Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh post Band Baaja Baaraat. But the pair created little magic, mostly because of the bland screenplay. Addtionally there were two other actors- Dipannita Sharma and Aditi Sharma, but the most memorable was Chopra’s Dimple Chaddha. She played a spoilt, boisterous Punjabi girl who sets out to take revenge when conned by Ranveer Singh’s character. Chopra had the best lines in the film and won praises from critics, and also swept the debut awards for that year. In his review of the film noted critic Rajeev Masand said,

As Dimple Chaddha, the motor-mouthed spoilt-little-rich-brat who’s lattoo over her gym-trainer boyfriend, newcomer Parineeti Chopra steals Ladies vs Ricky Bahl from under the nose of its leads. Whether she’s barging into her father’s office, demanding that he help solve her boyfriend’s property dispute, or drooling over the sight of the man who duped her of her affection and her money, she’s the most charming thing about this inconsistent film.

Rajeev Masand, Film critic

2. Ishaqzaade (2012)

Few months on the heels of Ladies vs Ricky Bahl came Chopra’s first leading role in Ishaqzaade. She played the firebrand Zoya, who belonged to a traditional Muslim family and aspired to become a politician. In one scene when asked about her hobbies she candidly tells a bunch of relatives, “I like shooting and hunting.” Her work in the film cemented her position as one of the brightest young actors in Bollywood and also won her the National Film Award-Special Mention. Critics also couldn’t help but heap praises for her performance in the film. Noted critic Raja Sen said,

Hers is a remarkably spirited character, and Chopra plays her very impressively indeed, with both bandook-bravado and childish enthusiasm. As she goes around hawking gold earrings for a gun and barking orders at the leading man to hold her sharara, its evident this young lady means business.

Raja Sen, film critic.

3. Shuddh Desi Romance (2013)

In a review for Shuddh Desi Romance, film critic Mayank Shekar had said, “Parineeti’s act in the film’s first half is nothing short of National Award winning material.” She played Gayatri, an outspoken, rebellious woman who finds herself in a love triangle. On paper, it might have seemed like just another spunky girl but Parineeti brought feeling to the character, never once hiding her flaws. She made Gayatri relatable and that has become her trademark.

4. Hasee Toh Phasee (2014)

In the Dharma-Phantom production, Chopra played a girl who was on anti-depressants and exhibited peculiar behaviour. Meeta, her character could have easily been reduced to a caricature because of the strange things she does - like never blinking, eating toothpaste etc. But Chopra imbues her with a vulnerability that makes it hard for you to not feel for her. I still remember the scene where she turns to Sidharth Malhotra who is dating her sister in the film and says, “Can’t I ever be an option for you?” With Hasee Toh Phasee she continued the trend of playing oddball characters, choosing relatability over vanity. When Chopra is on screen, you can’t help but want to jive to “Shake it like Shammi”!