There has been some talk about Parineeti Chopra being a part of Dabangg 3. “I also heard that last night,” she exclaimed when we met her recently. “I have no  clue where the rumours have come from and if I am offered the film, I’d love to do it!”

Even otherwise, Parineeti has a lot going on. The actress has voiced Sophie, the heroine of Ronald Dahl’s The BFG, in the film directed by Steven Spielberg. Her co-voices in the Hindi version are Amitabh Bachchan and Gulshan Grover. There is also the item song Jaaneman aah with Varun Dhawan in Dishoom which has clocked over 11 million views on YouTube.
t2 met the talented actress at Yash Raj Studio to talk Bengali sweets, murder mysteries and, yes, that all-new body!

Did you have fun shooting in Calcutta for Meri Pyari Bindu in May?

I loved it! It was hot as jack, but I had so much fun. I think I enjoyed working on Bindu so much because the crew is so amazing. We’ve had some tough shooting conditions, but we’ve had a blast shooting the film. We haven’t been shooting for a while because Ayushmann (Khurrana) is on tour (in the US). I’ve been missing the crew. I can’t wait to get back!

How long were you in Calcutta for?

I was there for about three weeks. But Ayushmann has more scenes in Calcutta. I had only about 10 days of work. On my off days, I bummed around all over the city. I had street-side Maggi and we would have Bengali sweets on the set every day! A friend of Ayushmann’s would send food for us every day. My fridge used to be full all the time. I saw all the touristy places....

Moving to The BFG, this is the first time that you’ve only voiced a character. What was that like?

It was a new challenge. The performance is already set so there isn’t much that I could add to the film. The challenge is to stay true to what is already done. I am very honoured to do an adaptation of Dahl, directed by Spielberg, with Mr Bachchan. I have a very distinctive and husky voice so it was crazy to dub for a 12-year- old girl!

Actors who do voice work often say that unlike regular films, doing this can get lonely...

That is true. It can also get boring as a process. But I had Mona Shetty, who is one of the biggest dubbing artistes in the country, by my side. She is so good with her direction.

Cameron Diaz, who voiced Princess Fiona in the Shrek series, said she had fun because she got to wear pyjamas through the making of the films...

(Laughs) It’s true. I totally relate to that. There is no make-up and hair or costume. I used to look like such a tramp… definitely not my fashionable best! I could take off my shoes and wear a thick sweatshirt throughout the whole dubbing process. I dub in complete darkness so it was all very comfortable and cosy.

Did you enjoy reading as a kid?

Oh ya! After the fairy tales, I was completely on an Enid Blyton trip. I think I started reading them when I was eight and then went on to the Nancy Drews and Hardy Boys. I am still a very avid reader. I read everything. I have recently discovered (Haruki) Murakami. Right now I am reading Keigo (Higashino). Have you heard of him?

Of course! Salvation of a Saint, The Devotion of Suspect X and Malice...

Ya! I am reading his new book Journey Under the Midnight Sun. It’s a thick monster. Love! Murder mystery! Double love! It’s the best. I’ll send it to you. You’ll love it!

We are also totally loving your item song in Dishoom. Clearly you had a lot of fun shooting it!

I am glad that’s what it seems like because I was super-stressed while shooting the song. I had never done a song like that before. I had never done a body shot like this before… actually I had, but I wasn’t in good shape at all. This song I really made sure that I worked out my abs, back and arms. In fact, VD (Varun Dhawan) gave me a lot of tips that he had gotten from John (Abraham). He told me what to do the night before a shoot and just before a take. Thankfully, it all worked. It feels like I have checked off a big thing from my bucket list.

Are you happy with how you look now?

For sure! I am very happy today. For the last decade, I have been very unhappy with how I looked and then I became an actor so that feeling just got worse. As a 27-year- old girl, I can wear what I want and sit how I want. I am not conscious that my stomach is out or the camera might get an unflattering angle. I don’t think people understand that that’s a huge achievement for me. People don’t understand that when a person is obese literally all their life…

Come on! You weren’t obese!

I was obese. You guys have seen me only for the last four-five years. That doesn’t count.

Have you completely changed your lifestyle to be where you are today?

The way I approach my life, food… my emotions... has changed 180 degrees. Eating for me was emotional. Food is not my crutch anymore and that’s a huge shift for me.

There is so much talk about positive body image and fat shaming. When you say a large body was imperfect for you, you are sending out a message that is not very positive.

The thing is… it depends on what you want for yourself. I wanted to be fit. When someone was shaming my size, I totally agreed with him or her. I never saw it as a negative comment, but as the reality. I am working in an industry where roles and clothes are all about how I look. Today, there are people who come up and tell me that they are inspired by my journey. They want to be able to fight those cravings and urges just like I did. Size doesn’t matter. I haven’t lost weight so I can wear a bikini on screen. What matters is that you are as fit as you want to be.

Is food an emotional crutch for you? Tell t2@abp.in