Ask me interesting questions please. I can’t handle another ‘What is your role in the film?’” warns Parineeti Chopra when we drop in to chat with her at YRF Studios in suburban Mumbai. Considering her Friday film, the dramedy Daawat-e-Ishq with Aditya Roy Kapoor, revolves around all things food, it makes sense to ask PC (jr) about all things gastronomical.

Do you cook?

No! (Laughs) Is that the end of the interview?

Have you ever tried?

There have been a few flop tries. There was a time I could make passable scrambled eggs… but I have forgotten. I don’t have the patience to stand in the heat and cook. You know what I am saying, right?

Hot kitchens aren’t fun...

Right? I don’t enjoy it at all. Also, I eat really fast. So, I would end up slaving over the stove for an hour and finish it all off in five minutes. I would rather stay in bed and have someone serve me (laughs).

So you wouldn’t even rustle up a quick breakfast for yourself?

Nope. I don’t even make toast. It’s not like I am spoilt. I am capable of making a toast. But I am out pretty much the whole day... I go home only to sleep. On the sets, food is catered.

What was the last memorable meal you had?

Lunch. I have a crazy team and we all eat together. It doesn’t matter if we are having a pizza from Domino’s or salad from Indigo, we just have fun together. I remember meals more for the company than the food.

What is your soul food?

Pizza! (Laughs) You knew this, didn’t you? A classic Margherita does it for me… add some extra cheese on it and I’ll be the happiest person on earth.

What should be on the menu for a perfect date meal?

Pizza! It’s not messy, quick, and very tasty. And most importantly, it’s a mood lifter. It’s perfect date food.

Is there any vegetable you don’t eat?

I don’t like capsicum and seafood. I can’t handle the smell of seafood.

Is there a cuisine that you haven’t tried yet that you would want to?

Hmm… Middle Eastern cuisine, especially Egyptian. I want to go to Egypt to sample their cuisine.

Do you watch cooking shows?

I am a connoisseur of good food and it’s all thanks to all the cooking shows I watch. I can tell you the correct texture for something or the temperature something needs to be cooked at. Shows like Highway on My Plate, Eat St., Man vs Food and, of course, Masterchef… I think I really understand food. I have a great passion for the art of making food.

Is there a chef whose food you want to taste?

Just two days ago, we had the opportunity to meet Sanjeev Kapoor. Before we were introduced to the Nigellas (Lawson) or Hestons (Blumenthal) of the world, it was Sanjeev Kapoor who everyone knew. It was such an honour to meet him and to eat food cooked by him. Just to have the chicken, roti, paneer and a sweet dish made by him was so amazing. I also want to eat Vikas Khanna’s food. I get a very positive vibe from him… and he is Punjabi, so I am sure he makes amazing food!

When I say ghar ka khana, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

Black dal and jeera alu. When I go home to Ambala and if I haven’t specified what I want to eat, mom knows that it has to be black dal and jeera alu. And with paratha, not rice.

Every time we meet, you look fitter. So you are clearly working out and eating right. Anything that you’ve cut out of your diet?

Not really. I genuinely don’t have the willpower to not eat what I am craving. If I crave a pizza, then I won’t eat much through the day, so I can have the pizza. Life is too short to not eat what you like. What if you die tomorrow without eating your favourite pizza?! (Laughs)

I don’t know anyone else as obsessed with pizza as you are!

Arre, Aditya (Roy Kapoor) is also almost as crazy about pizza. When I realised this, I almost did his puja (laughs). I don’t know anyone else who likes pizza as much as the two of us. If you ask me what I would want for my last meal on earth, it’ll be pizza. For me, a pizza is an all-encompassing meal. Bread and cheese are two of my favouritest things. I can talk about pizza for the rest of my life!

You must have eaten some very yummy food while filming Daawat-e-Ishq?

Oh ya! From the biryanis to the shahi tukda and jalebi-rabdi and nalli nihari. Lucknowi and Hyderabadi food was written into the script. Aditya, Anupam sir (Kher) and I would actually plan out what we would eat everyday.

Was there anything you tasted on this set that has become a favourite?

Tunde ke kebab from Lucknow. It’s iconic for the right reasons. I tasted them first when we were shooting Ishaqzaade for three months. I had them again while shooting Daawat-e-Ishq for a month in Lucknow and I am still not bored with it.

Changing the plate, it’s been three years since you debuted. Is being a movie star as exciting as it seemed to be then?

Ermmmm... I love being an actor. Being in front of the camera is still so exciting. But there are by-products of being famous that aren’t so much fun. I don’t enjoy being constantly judged or the lack of privacy. I don’t have a choice but to accept that there is a chance that there will be photographers when I come out of a movie hall. I am not going to stop watching films, but I will make sure that I am properly dressed and have make-up on when I go out. It is a small price to pay for the privilege of doing what I love but it is a price nonetheless.

There is a lot of scrutiny of how you look. Did that affect you?

Do you mean body-wise or in terms of how I dress?

Both, because they go hand-in-hand.

Yeah, it did affect me a lot. People were saying ‘She is overweight... how can she be an actress’ or ‘Why does she dress so badly?’ What they were saying was right. No one was picking on me for no reason. I was overweight, so I didn’t have access to the best clothes. So, I couldn’t wear a pair of shorts if I wanted to. I had to accept the fact and believe that I need to look better. So, I am working on myself so that I look good and can wear better clothes. I think things have improved in the last year. People don’t call me ‘the badly dressed actress’ anymore.

Do you think this scrutiny is sexist? No male actor is questioned about his physicality like this...

(Pauses) I don’t know. Boys only have a couple of silhouettes to wear. They don’t have to choose between gowns, dresses, skirts or palazzo pants. Boys just have to choose between tees and jeans or suits.

 

Karishma Upadhyay What is your soul food? Tell t2@abp.in