Parineeti Chopra, the new face for the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign in Haryana, dwells on the change in outlook towards women in the industry and society in general…
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; July 28, 2015)

She’s a no-nonsense woman. Fearless and strong, Parineeti Chopra is the new face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign in Haryana. Hailing from Ambala and given the strong women characters she’s played in her six-film-old career, she seems to be a fitting choice for the campaign. Here, Pari talks about the campaign, and how the Indian perception towards women is slowly changing in the industry and in society at large….

You have always veered towards strong women characters. Is it an extension of what you are in real life?
Yes and no. Because I think maybe, directors see a certain confidence or sense in me, because of which they think of me which is really good. But as an actress, even if I am asked to play a damsel in distress, I should be able to do it. It’s not an extension and all. The characters that I play on screen are different from what I am in real life.

You don’t like the term ‘women centric’ films?
It’s not that I don’t like the concept. That’s not true. What I mean is why should there be a separate tag for such films? Why call it women-centric? When heroes are bashing up the villains, they are not called male-centric films. So why do we face the same? I just feel that a character should be strong and make a difference to the story. That doesn’t mean that it has to be put into a separate genre of women-oriented films. It’s not really that important.

You have always taken a strong stance when it came to issues regarding women. Do you think your outspokenness made the government feel you are the right choice for the campaign?
Not at all. I don’t think so. Those were just a couple of incidences where I happened to have got people on track. It’s not that I was screaming at somebody for the wrong reasons. They were examples of moments when few members of the press had done something absolutely absurd. To that, not just me, everyone around reacted. I don’t think no one or nothing like this can make the Government of India select me. There has to be something else for them to feel that I can bring some changes to the society. Apart from the fact that I have grown up in Haryana, they feel that I am one person who can talk intelligently about the campaign or maybe able to influence people. I really don’t know what is their reason but I am thankful they thought of me. Obviously, actors need to have some kind of equity to be chosen for such campaigns and I’m happy I have at least that much.

Usually, there are so many reports about crimes against women, especially in the Delhi-Haryana region. Do you think this will bring in a change?
Of course, that’s the hope. The Prime Minister started the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign with a motive of bringing about a change in society at large and educate parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters and everyone on how to treat the girl child in the house. I hope we will bring in those changes, slowly but surely.

You’re doing this campaign for free...
Obviously. Why should I charge any money? I am not the official brand ambassador, per se, because I haven’t charged any money. For you to be a brand ambassador, you would ask for so much money and you’ll have to give them two days for the brand. But this is not the same. I still remain the brand ambassador of the Haryana campaign. But I am not going to charge any money for this.

Crime rate in India against women has been on a meteoric rise. What will be the campaign’s plan to curb down the crime rate?
That is the next step. I cannot comment on any particular issue because right now, I don’t have enough information about the same. We’ve just made the announcement making me the brand ambassador. The next step would be to sit together and conceive ideas as to what we will be doing on the ground for each issue. Give me a little more time and I’ll be able to answer that.

With women-oriented films doing great business and bringing in critical acclaim as well, do you think the industry and the society in totality has undergone a perception change towards women?
I don’t think it’s only to do with films. I guess, overall just the fact the world is ready to see films which have even stronger women characters and they are not just the heroines anymore shows a great development and positivity towards women. That’s a great thing. I hope it’s not limited to films only. The campaign which I am now a part of helps women to be more educated and there is more acceptance of women and they’re considered equal to men.

Five years back, an NH10 or a Piku would have been called a parallel film or new wave cinema. Today, that gap is getting bridged. Does that give you more confidence to try out varied roles now?
Definitely. I think times are changing. Now when we have narrations or meetings, there is no discussion that ‘Oh, because you are a girl, you will get these many minutes in the film and the boy will get these many minutes in the film. There are no stupid conversations in the business anymore. But the way I saw films where there’s always a hero and there’s a heroine. Not there was any difference. I am so glad that people are accepting heroines as stronger part of the story. That’s so cool now.

Priyanka told us that once she had met a producer who had told her, ‘Fine, don’t do the film because actresses are replaceable’. That isn’t the case anymore…
My sister has been here for a long time. So she must have had different experiences with different people. In the six films that I’ve done — I have worked with Yash Raj, Dharma and Phantom, I never faced that kind of thing. My directors always told me that I see you in that role, which is so cool now. At one point, I guess heroines were considered replaceable, which has definitely changed now. That is amazing because that is the only way forward.

Do you feel that someday these roles might dry up?
As long as I’m an actor, that will always remain. It’s not like I can stop time or stop ageing day by day. It’s not insecurity, but there’s this feeling which keeps coming on and off that this is going to end one day. Whether it’s 10 years, 20 years from now or two years from now, it could be any day. That also depends on how the fans react to my films. I could be 50 years old and people would still love to watch me on screen. I would love to act even then. But if they get bored with me, I can’t do anything. I can work very hard but the audience has to enjoy the films I do. The day that finishes, your careers won’t have any place to go.

But today, marriage and motherhood aren’t considered a taboo anymore. Comment.
It’s all very simple today. The person playing the character is important. It does not matter if the person has purple hair, or if she is married or has five kids. If that person is correct for the character, that’s the only thing which will matter to the audiences. At one point, maybe heroines were only meant to be glamorous. Maybe they felt that after marriage, they are not so attractive anymore. But I think that has changed very strongly now. Kareena, Aishwarya, Rani, Kajol all of them are married but it doesn’t matter at all. When you are looking at the screen, you are not thinking about their husbands or their kids.