Parineeti Chopra is gearing up for not one but three releases this year. The actress' psychological murder mystery premiered on Netflix on February 26. Now, she has two releases in the month of March starting with Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar followed by Saina Nehwal's biopic titled Saina, helmed by Amole Gupte.

Answering some fan questions during a chat with Bollywood Hungama, Parineeti Chopra said, "That was the most immersive process I've ever been a part of. You can't make up anything since you are playing real characters, you have to do everything authentically. The way I hold a racket, the way I play a particular shot - I could play it in my style but that's not allowed because you have to play like the other entity. That is why I spent so much time with Saina herself, tried to emulate her, made videos of her. I used to watch her matches, read everything, watch her interviews. I used to see how she talks and I tried to emulate that in the film."

Speaking of the release of the film, she added, "Release [of the film], we don't know yet. I am sure we will announce it soon."

Though she did not confirm the date, reports state that Saina is set to release on March 26.

ALSO READ: Parineeti Chopra starrer Saina looks for a theatrical release on March 26

Ayushmann Khurrana is now called the ‘poster boy of content cinema in India’. He credits the 2015 sleeper hit Dum Laga Ke Haisha (DLKH) for triggering his journey to stardom with his unique brand of disruptive, clutter-breaking cinema.

The versatile actor, who has delivered eight back-to-back hits on screen, says, “Dum Laga Ke Haisha will always be one of the most memorable films of my career due to various reasons. It bolstered my belief that I was on the right path of selecting films that spark a conversation.”

He adds, “Vicky Donor and then Dum Laga Ke Haisha's success told me that audiences wanted to have a different experience in the theatre and that, their taste was changing. They wanted to have a different form of engagement at the movies. They wanted to have a conversation, have a debate, and take back an uplifting message home.”

Ayushmann believes that DLKH was the watershed moment of his career and he ‘never look back’ since then. He says, “I will forever be indebted to Adi sir, Maneesh Sharma, and Sharat Katariya for bringing this film to me. Films like Dum Laga Ke Haisha have shaped my positioning as an artiste who wants to walk the road less travelled and constantly experiment with genres and subjects.”

The star adds, “Such films have been the voice of my beliefs and sensibilities and have enabled me to write my own destiny in this industry. I never looked back after Dum Laga Ke Haisha and so, it will always be a super special one for my career, for my life.”

ALSO READ: Bhumi Pednekar takes a trip down the memory lane as she shoots for Badhaai Do in the same location she gave her first shot for Dum Laga Ke Haisha

Parineeti Chopra is kicking off the year with Netflix starrer The Girl On The Train – a murder mystery directed by Ribhu Dasgupta. She spoke to Bollywood Hungama at length about her film, moving away from girl-next-door image and more

So how was 2020 for you?
I was fine, seriously. It was a great year personally! We all wanted that pause in our lives to rethink and reload. But, ofcourse, work suffered. We were hardly working.

And now you have The Girl On The Train? Emily Blunt was absolutely Oscar-worthy in it. You are very effective too.
You know, I wanted a challenge like this at this juncture of my career. I was looking to go anti-image. I wanted to do something that would shock surprise and challenge me. I wanted to escape the rom-com trap. I was actively looking for something like The Girl On A Train. Sir, you’ve been around long enough in this industry to know how they typecast an actor. After doing films like Shuddh Desi Romance, Golmaal and Hasee Toh Phasee. I was seen as the rom-com cast-fit.

But Hasee Toh Phasee is not really a rom-com. It has very serious undertones on a social misfit’s struggle to conform.
You know it. I know it. But how do we convince the industry? It is very hard to convince them to cast you in something different when they feel you fit into the rom-com genre well. No matter how much you tell them that you are not just good for Golmaal they won’t believe you can do a The Girl On The Train because they haven’t seen you do it, so how will they know?

They will know, true talent can’t be slotted,
This is why I will have a lifelong respect for (director) Ribhu Dasgupta. He saw me in this dark role. He showed faith. You know, when I heard about the role I went to them and said, “If you think I’m good for this role let me read the script and then you can decide if I’m right for it.’ And do you know what they said? They said, ‘What are you saying! We’ve been trying to contact you for the past few days because we wanted you for the role.’ See, how destiny works. We were both looking for each other at the same time.

Did that reassure you?
It was very liberating for me. To have Ribhu think of me for the role challenged me as an actor. From Day 1 of shooting I knew I had made the right decision. I felt so much at home doing this film. I was able to finally do a genre that I was waiting to, and a film that offered me an opportunity to get away from my image.

Mira in The Girl On The Train is unlike any heroine we’ve seen in Hindi cinema, unstable…
Unstable is right. She is ….something else.

Playing an alcoholic, were you drunk during the making of the film? Emily Blunt apparently drank her way through the role?
I was completely sober throughout. Not a single Tequila shot. If Emily Blunt really drank her way through the alcoholic’s character, that’s really impressive. If I took even one tequila shot, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on my work. I relied completely on my instincts.

So would you say this is the most challenging role of your career?
Understatement of the century, Sir. It is the most challenging immersive, most difficult role I’ve ever done. I used to pride myself on being a switch-on-switch-off actress. Colleagues used tell me they have done an intense role and they need to take a holiday. I’d just do my work and go home. I’d laugh at them and ask them why they took their work so seriously. But that was my naiveté. I hadn’t experienced a character before that would affect me so deeply.

The Girl On The Train has changed your attitude to acting?
I wouldn’t say that. Let me correct you. This was something I always wanted to do. I’ve always been an academic type; the student-teacher dynamics impressed me. But I never got that opportunity on the sets until now.

It must have been frustrating having to wait for the opportunity?
I don’t want to come across as an actor complaining about the work that I’ve done. I love all my films. They’ve made me what I am. I am in a privileged position where the audience expects more from me. I am happy to give that in The Girl on the Train. I wanted to do more than just do my work and go home. This film took me back to my school and college days of doing my homework and not expecting anything but the best out of me. This is the kind of person I always was. Henceforth I know I will apply this yardstick of excellence to all the roles that I do.

What if something like The Girl On The Train doesn’t come your away in the near future?
No, that’s in my hands. I will choose what I want to, hopefully. To give you an example, my next release is a bio-pic on Saina Nehwal. The character may not be as intense as Mira. But she is a genuine authentic real character and it’s my privilege to play her. You will see a completely different me. That’s what I want to do each time.

Finally the question that I ask you in every interview: are you still single?
As single as I was the last time we spoke. You will have to find someone for me.

Also Read: Parineeti Chopra urges cinema lovers to not leak any spoilers of murder mystery The Girl On The Train