Hitting the Right Notes

Every once in a while, an actor gets a role that completely overshadows all past performances. Not that Parineeti Chopra needed a clean slate as ever since the actor debuted as Dimple Chaddha in 2011’s Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, she has been a darling of the masses as well as critics. She belongs to the category of performers with the perfect blend of beauty with brains. A graduate of the Manchester Business School, where she obtained a triple honours degree in Business, Finance and Economics, Parineeti Chopra is a multi-talented actress who is also a well-known singer. This talent was evident in her latest outing, Amar Singh Chamkila, a biopic on the life of Punjabi singer Amar Singh, popularly known as Chamkila, and his wife Amarjot. The film traces the short but brilliant life of the Punjabi singer, known as one of the highest-selling Indian artistes of the 1980s. While

singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh essays the role of Chamkila, Chopra plays Amarjot. Stepping into the shoes of a legend is not easy, especially when the masses and classes have admired Chamkila and Amarjot so much. "A biopic is as much a matter of responsibility as it is of pride. And playing the role of Amarjot was no different," she says, adding, "Imtiaz Sir asked me to gain 16 kg of weight, wear no makeup and also dress in a certain way!” But not once did she doubt the process. "I understood it was a performance character and once I had committed to this role, my decision was made." She explains that she "drew inspiration from Vidya Balan and how she embodied Silk Smitha in her film The Dirty Picture". Speaking about the film (directed by Imtiaz Ali) not being a cakewalk, the actor says, "This, probably, has been the toughest and most demanding role of my life! It was not just about getting the mannerisms of Amarjot right, putting on weight or acquiring the right diction and accent. The toughest part was the singing. Chamkila ji sang at a certain pitch and one of the reasons why the pairing of Amarjot ji and Chamkila ji was such a hit was the perfect synchrony between the two singers. Matching that pitch was extremely challenging. I could not have made a mistake!" It is even more remarkable when one learns that the songs were sung live on the shoot! Speaking about that experience, Chopra says, "It was the kind of thing that makes you nervous but also propels you to take the leap of faith. Live singing has a magic of its own and we managed to capture it. What we recorded was a back-up. The songs sung in the film were recorded live on location like the dialogues. There were no add-ons whatsoever." Chopra has taken the proverbial leap of faith several times over. "It became more about quality over quantity," she says, asserting, "Films like The Girl On the Train and Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar were choices that made me nervous, but I was also excited about them. Then Saina happened. I think that is when I realised I would rather be the tortoise than the hare."

"The portrayal of Amarjot has probably been the toughest and the most demanding role of my life. It was not about mannerisms, gaining weight or acquiring her diction, the most difficult part was to sing at her pitch," says Parineeti Chopra

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Beyond celluloid

Aside from acting projects and music, Chopra has also forayed into entrepreneurship. She recently joined hands as an investor and partner with personal care brand, Clensta. Talking about the venture, the newly turned entrepreneur wrote on Instagram, “I’m finally getting to do something that I have been wanting to do for four years but needed the right team to do it with. My education and business background have always made me want to do more than just act, and I’m glad my crazy team and I now have the same vision for my dreams.”

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