Be it for the kind of roles that they want to do or the way they want to shape their career, actors often seek inspiration from the people that they look up to. For Parineeti Chopra, that inspiration is her sister, actor-producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who has been consistently working in films and shows on a global level and has also turned producer. Priyanka and cousin Parineeti have always been extremely close to each other.

Talking about how Priyanka inspires her, Parineeti says, “I keep talking to Mimi didi (Priyanka’s pet name). When I was in London a while ago, she was with me. I would often tell her theoretically about the films I was working on, my process of approaching my characters, and so on. At that time, she had not seen my recent films, but she was very happy to know what I was doing. Eventually, after seeing the films, she told me that she feels proud of me. It’s a big deal for me. She had said this to me even when I was starting out and was making those instinctive choices, and recently she said it to me again.”

Parineeti adds, “Mimi didi motivates me every day... I follow her actions and observe what she does. She wants me to achieve the standard of work that she has. And I am more than happy to make her proud of me.”

After a little over a decade in films, Priyanka expanded her horizons and became a producer with films like Ventilator (Marathi) and Pahuna (Sikkimese). She eventually co-produced one of her recent Hindi outings — The Sky Is Pink along with an OTT film, and has plans to produce more content internationally. Does Parineeti, with a decade’s experience in the business, also plan to produce content that appeals to her?

The actress says, “That is definitely on the cards. In order to become a producer, I do feel that I need to learn a little more about the back-end of filmmaking, equip myself even more and strengthen my basics before I jump into it. Maybe next year… Right now, I want to do some really risky and distinct films. I want to push the envelope with every project of mine. I feel elated with what I achieved with my last three films, and I want to escalate the proportions of that achievement with every single film.”