Parineeti Chopra praises Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif for challenging motherhood stereotypes in Bollywood: ‘Nothing else that happens in my life impacts my career, so why should having a baby?’

For years, motherhood was often viewed as a turning point in the careers of Hindi film actresses, with an outdated perception that becoming a mother could limit their opportunities on screen. Parineeti Chopra believes that perception is changing, with several actresses continuing to work successfully after embracing motherhood. The actor, who shot her upcoming Netflix thriller ‘Shaque: Trust No One’ while pregnant with her son Neer, has now spoken about the support she received from the show’s makers and why having a child should not determine the course of an actor’s career.Speaking to Mid Day, Chopra credited producers Siddharth P Malhotra and Sapna Malhotra for making adjustments to the production and ensuring that her pregnancy did not compromise her safety while filming the action-heavy project.

Parineeti Chopra recalls shooting ‘Shaque: Trust No One’ during pregnancy

Parineeti Chopra said the process began with an open conversation with the makers about the practical changes that would be required during her pregnancy. According to the actor, the producers immediately worked with director Rensil D’Silva to find creative solutions that would allow her to continue performing the demanding scenes safely.“I told them, ‘These are certain things I’ll now have to do, and certain things I’ll have to avoid. How can we make this work?’ Here is when producers like Siddharth and Sapna matter because their minds switched to management mode. They immediately spoke to our director [Rensil D’Silva] and started creatively finding solutions because I had to do a lot of action in this show. We’ve done all of it, but in a way that was safe for me,” Chopra told Mid Day.The actor also acknowledged that such support may not necessarily be available on every production. She said filmmakers have a responsibility to understand the emotional and physical circumstances surrounding pregnancy rather than making an actor feel guilty for becoming a mother.“There are certain filmmakers who might make the mother feel guilty. It’s the craziest thing to do to her during this emotional time,” she said.

Parineeti Chopra feels the audience is not cancelling mothers

Chopra believes the idea that motherhood automatically limits an actress’s career has already been challenged by several leading performers in the industry. She pointed to actresses including Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Katrina Kaif as examples of women who have continued to pursue their careers after becoming mothers.“All of us — Alia [Bhatt], my cousin Priyanka [Chopra], Deepika [Padukone], Kareena [Kapoor Khan], and now Katrina [Kaif] — are here to prove that motherhood only inspires us to do more. It’s also got to do with the audience. The audience is not cancelling mothers, [saying] they don’t want to see us on screen anymore. Nothing else that happens in my life impacts my career. So why should having a baby impact it?”

Parineeti Chopra praises Karan Johar for supporting Alia Bhatt

Chopra also highlighted the importance of producers and filmmakers who accommodate actresses during pregnancy. In this context, she appreciated Karan Johar for supporting Alia Bhatt while she was pregnant during the shoot of ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’.

Parineeti Chopra’s current work slate

On the work front, Parineeti Chopra is set to headline ‘Shaque: Trust No One’, her debut series, which is a Netflix thriller directed by Rensil D’Silva. The official synopsis states: “Nine years after her baby is abducted, a mother’s relentless search uncovers secrets around her and tests whether she can trust what she sees.”Chopra stars alongside Jennifer Winget and Tahir Raj Bhasin.