Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; December 18, 2019)

It was a reel-meets-real moment for actress Parineeti Chopra and badminton champ and former World No 1, Saina Nehwal. Recently, the actress visited the Nehwal residence in Hyderabad. Usha and Harvir Singh Nehwal, Saina’s parents, welcomed their reel daughter into their home and treated her to some desi ghee ke aloo parathe, before the girls could start chatting about the film based on Saina’s life and sporting journey that’s being backed by T-Series. In an exclusive interaction with Bombay Times, Parineeti and Saina, talk about how tough the sport is, the challenges of portraying it on screen, and how similar the two of them are in reality. Excerpts:

The biopic rolled out afresh a fortnight before Diwali, after a long journey and a change of actors. In fact, Shraddha Kapoor (who had briefly shot for the film) had told BT that Parineeti was the first choice for the role, and it was pure destiny that eventually, she is the one headlining it.
Parineeti: She’s right! Har film ki apni kismat hoti hai. I remember being over the moon after reading just five pages of the script. I met the director Amole Gupte. I wanted to do it, but things didn’t materialise then. Shraddha is a dear friend and we often discussed how she was doing my film. It’s sheer luck that it came back to me. The meaning of my name Parineeti is destiny. Today, I want to leave the past behind because I don’t want it to distract me. I am treating this as a brand-new film that I’ve just started shooting. What makes the road difficult is that Saina is still in action while the biopic is being made. There’s no scope for any kind of creative liberty here. I know that comparisons will be drawn, and I want to have as little to worry about that as possible. Digging up the past only convolutes the mind. This is by far one of my most difficult films.

Saina, you must be aware that Parineeti, as a part of her prep for the biopic, continued to practice badminton with Eshan Naqvi (her coach and co-actor) even while shooting for another film (The Girl On The Train). A subject like this needs far more investment emotionally and physically for an actor, as compared to many other projects. Would you agree, Parineeti?
Parineeti: I didn’t want to miss a 45-day spell of training! I am not a sportsperson, so if am portraying one on screen, I have to be convincing. That’s not an easy task. After meeting her, I’m nervous about how she will assess everything. I hope the effort makes her happy.
Saina: Playing a sportsperson on screen when you are not one must be very challenging. I know how tough it must be for her to imitate my style on the court. I just wanted to tell her that I’m there with her to motivate her and guide her wherever she needs me. This sport can be tough for someone who doesn’t know its intricacies. Today, Parineeti knows the lifts, serves and certain shots. She’s worked to get them right. She’s come a long way in just a few months. With what she’s doing, I think it will be an emotional moment for me to see my life unfurl on the big screen. During my conversation with Parineeti, I realised just how similar we are as people. The fact that she’s a little tomboyish and has the right personality to play me is so reassuring.

Amole Gupte has been working on this biopic for years. He must be relieved now, since the film has taken off on a fresh note and the two of you have also met and discussed the film in detail…
Saina: Cuts in… I am happy that he’s directing my biopic. He knows how to handle such stories and he knows everything about my life very well. He knows what I am doing, where I am and even the results of those matches that aren’t aired on TV. He also gives me regular updates about the scenes that are being shot and Parineeti’s on-going prep.
Parineeti: When I reach the set, I’m me, but when I leave my vanity van, I’m Saina Nehwal. That’s the first step. There’s so much that goes into playing someone who is so revered for her skills and achievements in a sport. I’ve never looked the way I do when I am on Saina’s set. It’s a blessing that our physical attributes match; not ticking those boxes would have made things tough. So far, we have been shooting the dialogue-driven scenes. Now, we will start shooting the historic matches. The real struggle will begin then, but I’ve never been more motivated in my life. With this new phase in my career and life, this project fits like a glove.

In a recent interview with BT, you mentioned that you’re looking at breaking out of your comfort zone. Your upcoming films substantiate exactly what you had said. Was that the reason that you were keen to pick such challenging roles?
Parineeti: The clichéd answer is yes. It’s a male-dominated industry and shouldering an entire film for any leading lady is a Herculean task. Every actress has said that a million times. I want to leave clichés behind because I am done with them. I was waiting for this. I wanted roles that make me do a lot of homework, scare me about coming on set for the shoot and pull me out of my comfort zone completely. Honestly, I didn’t want to do most of the films coming my way for this reason. I’m an academic person and a disciplinarian. I like working on a character, and I got a chance to do that with Saina and The Girl On The Train (TGOTT).

Weirdly, the thought that whether I can pull this off is the best feeling I’ve had in a long time. When you work with that thought, you go back home satisfied, feeling like you achieved something in the day or earned something valuable. In these films — TGOTT and Saina — I feel like I’m at my best. I don’t have an iota of doubt. I can’t comment on the box office of these films, but that's in no one’s control anyway.

Interestingly, the biopic will open around Olympics 2020, and the spotlight will be on Saina. So, that will further pique the audience’s curiosity around the film…
Saina: Releasing my biopic around the Olympics will pose a challenge for me. It’s a real pressure. But I’m also quite assured because it has a lot of masala in it. It will be different from a lot of other sports films. In the middle of my ups and downs, a lot happened, and it makes for great content. Having said that, I can imagine what Parineeti must be feeling about this. As professional badminton players, we, too, are scared, even after all these years, to step on to a court. It must be tough for Parineeti to make it look like she’s been playing for 20 years. I’ve been seeing her practice videos where she is trying to get her shots right. Parineeti is what this film needed. She is the perfect choice to play me on screen.
Parineeti: When people watch this film, I want them to realise that badminton is a tough sport. Getting its technique and speed right is very difficult. The common sentiment is to say that, ‘I need training for basketball, cricket or football’. But badminton toh hum sab khel sakte hain na! Gully badminton is a feature in every colony. But we play it all wrong and don’t realise it. I figured it on the first day of training that we all hold the racket in the wrong way. Shuttle se connect karna is not badminton. You have to know how to hold a racket. That’s the first challenge. I hope with this film we can clear some misconceptions about the sport.
Saina: She’s right. It takes two-three months to merely learn how to hold a racket. Even today, some top players don’t know how to do that. A few millimeters here and there can spoil your shot. Unfortunately, no one gets this, and people think what they do is right.

Saina, your parents have played a crucial role in your journey and success. Would you say that it would be impossible to come this far without them by your side?
Parineeti: Her parents played an equal role in Saina’s journey to becoming the World’s No 1 in the sport. Usha aunty is an ex-player and she’s still quite fit to play. You have to see her videos. I can say this to Saina that maybe, she would not have become a champ without her mother, who even today, can run more than her and defeat her on court. It will be so much fun emulating Saina’s chemistry with her.
Saina: (Laughs!) Mamma can be stiff competition even today. When I started playing initially, she could beat me at the game. She was strict and disciplined. She has given me the strength and direction to be where I am. I knew nothing about badminton. She knew the sport better than my father and me. However, I must say that my mother found a strong supporter in my father, who participated equally. He would take me to court for practice at 5 am, drop me to school and mamma would take over from there and manage everything else. My mother is emotionally attached to the game. My batchmates would laugh at me when my mother would scold me for silly mistakes. Today, probably they won’t laugh. Mamma hi thi jisne apna saara dedication laga ke, mujhe doodh aur ghee khila pila ke iss layak bana diya. Meri maa nahi hoti toh medal nahi hota. My family encouraged me all the time, especially when I was not performing well in the game; something that even Parineeti’s parents have done for her.

With games other than cricket gaining mainstream importance, do you feel the road ahead will be more rewarding for sportspersons (beyond cricketers)?
Saina: Maybe people are bored of cricket (laughs!). On a serious note, no other sport can catch up with cricket in terms of popularity. Yes, other sports are growing by the day and getting a lot of attention because sportspersons are showing promise and delivering results. We are recognised on flights and people are more aware about all kinds of sports and players now. A lot of credit goes to the media and social media, which has made people more aware. As the games and the results improve, people and their attitude will also change. It’s a cycle. When I see wrestlers, athletes and gymnasts getting plum endorsement deals, I feel great because that’s a promising avenue for them to earn and that’s opened up only in recent years. It’s time that we teach our children to work for a medal in sports from a very young age. We can easily defeat a country like China that has a large population like us, but far more medals in sports. That’s the mantra parents need to give to their little ones.
Parineeti: We are in transition. The world is waking up to newer things. People are no longer hung up on old choices and styles — in films, sports or otherwise. The days when hockey and badminton were considered smaller games are over. If that wasn’t the case, why would anyone invest in a film about a badminton player? The picture is so much bigger today.