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!”

Actor Parineeti Chopra and her fiancé, politician Raghav Chadha, who got engaged on May 13 in an intimate ceremony in Delhi, are yet to finalise a venue for their wedding that’s likely to happen in October. However, we have exclusively learnt that contrary to the reports of them hosting two wedding receptions in Chandigarh and Mumbai, the couple is considering The Leela Ambience Gurugram Hotel for the reception.

A source tells us that Parineeti and Raghav’s parents, Pawan Chopra-Reena Chopra and Sunil Chadha-Alka Chadha, visited the hotel for a food-tasting session.

“On Friday, there was buzz at the hotel that Parineeti, Raghav and their families would come for the food tasting around 7 pm, but then it was moved to 9 pm. While Parineeti and Raghav didn’t turn up, their parents reached around 9.45 pm,” says the source.

The insider adds that the menu was quite elaborate. “Since Raghav hails from Delhi and is a politician, he has a lot of friends and work associates in the city. Hence, the reception is sure to be a grand affair,” the source shares.