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As Saina readies for release six years after inception, director Amole Gupte discusses why Parineeti replaced Kapoor in the badminton champion’s role
Shraddha Kapoor had begun prepping for the biopic; (right) Parineeti Chopra in the film
Amole Gupte. Pic/AFP
Over the next five years, the movie battled more than its fair share of roadblocks, including a casting change. While the project was announced with Shraddha Kapoor earlier, it now stars Parineeti Chopra in the titular role. “[Making] this film felt like jumping off a plane, with the parachute refusing to open. Saina left the casting to me; she loved both Parineeti and Shraddha. I don’t audition a lot, believing that everyone is capable of being a good actor, with a little help. Parineeti has hit the nail on the head. Saina has been playing since she was eight. Parineeti can’t replicate [her mastery], but had the wisdom to replicate the efficiency.”
But what prompted the switch? After all, Kapoor had trained in the sport for the better part of 2018. “She got dengue, and by the time she recovered, she had to shoot Chhichhore [2019]. The makers had taken [her dates] two years in advance, so she couldn’t have backed out. After that, when there was a crisis on Street Dancer 3D, they got Shraddha on board. So, Parineeti was brought in for my film in April 2019. It was a smooth transition.”
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