A mother and daughter bond like no other. In the run-up to Mother’s Day on May 12, our exclusive series delves into the cherished bond between a unique mom and daughter duo. Today, we shine a spotlight on the enchanting relationship between actor Parineeti Chopra and her artist mother, Reena Chopra, as the latter reveals some delightful anecdotes.

“My journey as a professional artist has been relatively short but incredibly fulfilling. I owe much of this satisfaction to Parineeti, as she was the one who encouraged me to pursue art seriously. I haven’t received any formal training in art; I’m self-taught. However, it was Parineeti and my sons (Sahaj and Shivang) who gifted me my first artist kit and urged me to dedicate time to my own passions rather than solely focusing on family obligations,” Reena begins, her voice filled with warmth and admiration.

“My genres are mostly inspired by my travels and by the differences in culture that I experienced in the first few years of my life when I moved from Kenya to India. And all that is translated into some kind of visual journey, which I’m very proud of today. Because it was my personal journey, a lot of it actually struck a chord with people who saw my art and ultimately reached out to me wanting to own some of it. So that’s when the realization took place that maybe honesty in your art is something that really reaches out to people, and that’s what I’ve been trying to do so far,” Reena shares while talking about her art.

“Even though I am her mother and always will be, now at times, I feel that the roles are reversed. She’s literally my 4 am friend in the real sense of the word,” she goes on, “Today, I feel she’s my mentor, my guide. She’s the best person to give me all kinds of advice that I need, whether it’s personal or professional.”

Raising Pari in Ambala, which is a very small town, was challenging in many ways, but very good for her. We had a large, loving family; she grew up with grandparents. And then her nana-nani (Reena’s parents) lived in Kenya, so Pari actually got the best of both worlds. It was in Kenya that Pari developed a deep love for water. Now, she is a certified scuba diver. She’s even taught me to scuba dive!

If there is one thing I have learnt from my mum, it would be to keep smiling no matter what your struggles are. She is so strong and always keeps smiling. She’s our family’s little atom bomb, our little packet of talent, kindness, dignity and grace. I inherited her sarcastic sense of humour, her keeda for travel and her obsession with grammar!”