MUMBAI: Parineeti Chopra has channelled her anger on the screen to take on Arjun Kapoor with whom she is pitted against in ‘Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar’ (SAPF). Director Dibakar Banerjee salutes her for enduring this violent film. Dibakar said, “Parineeti and I argued endlessly on Sandeep (Pari’s character in the film) – and I learnt a lot. She is a very strong-willed and combative individual who needs her answers. And I hugely enjoy confrontations on creative matters so that was the high point of our combined work on SAPF! The patriarchy, objectification and the muddled woke-but-male gaze of Bollywood have pushed most of our spirited actresses into a gilded box.”
He added, “Sandy is trying to unbox herself in the film. So is Parineeti in the film as Sandy. It was physically and mentally brutal, bruising, challenging, exhausting, and stretched her limits. Her animosity with Arjun’s character channelled all the real anger I think many actresses constantly hide against the relentless patriarchy and mansplaining they encounter. She knows Sandy is the film.” Dibakar revealed SAPF is centred around Parineeti and it is her character that drives the narrative forward.
Talking about her character in the film, he said, “Sandy makes the story happen and yet everyone’s trying to explain to Sandy what they think she should do. Both Parineeti and Sandy are smarter than a lot of people they meet – yet they have to hide it and put on their ‘gameface’. Parineeti taught me a lesson about ‘gameface’ I’ll never forget it and I used it in the film.” Dibakar said Sandeep, as a character, is a mirror reflection of what actresses go through in the industry every single day.