Parineeti on Kesari: Screen time matters in other films, not here

Parineeti Chopra

"I don't want to be dishonest to my viewers. This film is about the boys and the Battle of Saragarhi," forewarns Parineeti Chopra, who will be seen as Akshay Kumar's wife in the Anurag Singh-directed Kesari. The period drama traces the 1897 Battle of Saragarhi, which had 21 Sikh soldiers of the British Indian Army fight the 10,000-strong troop of Afghani tribesmen.

A still from the film

Well-aware that a subject of this nature will essentially revolve around the war, Chopra says she is unperturbed by the relatively lesser screen time the film offers. "I wanted to be part of a good film. The very fact that a movie like Kesari will be on my resume, is a big deal.

I believe actors need to back good stories in whatever capacity possible. Kesari proves that I don't look at the number of scenes I have in a movie. Screen time matters in other films, not here," she argues, adding that even though her character is distanced from the story's crux, it is pivotal to the narrative. "I am the chapter of love. It's crucial to highlight her because her track gives people an insight into Ishar Singh's [Kumar's character] mind."

The project marks her first collaboration with Kumar. While many co-stars good-naturedly joke about the superstar's habit of shooting early in the morning, Chopra says that she bonded with him over it. "His habit of shooting early suited my lifestyle because I am an early riser too. His discipline rubbed off on me. He is jovial and so unaware of his stardom."

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