BOMBAY TIMES (August 3, 2020)

Though Parineeti Chopra’s first film was Ladies vs Ricky Bahl (2011), it was Ishaqzaade (2012) — in which Arjun Kapoor made his debut — that cemented her place in Bollywood. In an industry where people move on quickly after working with each other and find little time to keep in touch, the two actors have remained great buddies all these years. Yesterday, we all celebrated Friendship Day, however, there are many like Arjun and Parineeti, who don’t really feel the need to be constantly in touch to strengthen their friendship. In a recent chat with BT, talking about the unique bond they share, Parineeti said, “Arjun was my first friend in the industry. During the making of Ishaqzaade, I went through a very vulnerable time, and he was going through something very big in his personal life, too.”

It was during the making of the film that Parineeti had her first taste of stardom. She shares, “Ladies vs Ricky Bahl released when I was shooting Ishaqzaade. Overnight, I got success and became whoever I went on to become. I experienced that phase with the crew of Ishaqzaade, so they will always be special for me.” Besides Ishaqzaade, Arjun and Parineeti have also shared screen space in Namaste England (2018) and an upcoming film.

While their shooting schedules and the frantic pace of life doesn’t allow them to meet up often, Parineeti says that her equation with Arjun remains unchanged. “We probably may not end up speaking to each other for three months, and then, I’ll call him one day, and we just start from where we left. It really shows that nothing has changed between us. We’ve done three different films together, and our friendship has only grown. We, too, have grown up as people. I think he’s grown up a lot, and I’ve grown up, too, at least, he tells me that all the time,” she shares.

Talking about their journey in showbiz, the actress says, “Arjun has actually seen me as the child that I was back then. So, he will always be special, and I am very protective of him. Nobody can dare say anything against him around me. There is absolutely no formality between us. I don’t talk to him like a co-star, I talk to him like a friend and so does he. He can easily come and say, ‘Yeh mat karo tum, yeh bakwaas hai’, and I can do the same with him. We can have arguments, and we can say anything to each other, and that’s what real friendship is all about.”