Born on October 22, 1988, Parineeti Chopra once aspired to be an investment banker. She has a triple honours degree in business, finance and economics. After trying her hand in the world of finance, Parineeti changed her profession from being a finance professional to an actress. (All pictures courtesy: Parineeti Chopra's Instagram account)

In 2011, Parineeti Chopra made her Bollywood debut with YRF's Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, alongside Dipannita Sharma, Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh.

Parineeti Chopra bagged the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut and a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl. The actress's career skyrocketed and her films Ishaqzaade (2012), Shuddh Desi Romance (2013) and Hasee Toh Phasee (2014) became box office hits.

Hasee Toh Phasee won her the National Film Award Special Mention, while Ishaqzaade and Shuddh Desi Romance earned her two nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. After a three-year hiatus from full-time acting, Parineeti starred in the blockbuster comedy Golmaal Again (2017), which is one of the highest-grossing Indian films of her career.

Though Parineeti Chopra has made it big in Bollywood just like sister Priyanka Chopra, she has often faced flak - first, for being called an 'overweight' actress, and after her transformation, for losing weight! More recently, however, the actress has become an inspiration to a lot of people for being a woman who is comfortable in her own skin.

On April 2016, the actress shared a post on Instagram about her weight-loss journey. Parineeti Chopra wrote: 'BEFORE. All my life, I have struggled with how I look, how I feel, and how people looked at me. I was constantly made fun of, but the person I was, I generously laughed with them. Today, many people ask me what triggered the weight loss, did I give in to the 'Bollywood pressure'?

The post further read, 'To that I say - thank god I became an actor and had that pressure! I am able to achieve what I couldn't achieve otherwise. I feel more confident, I feel at peace, and I feel proud! Girls and women meet me all around the world, at airports, events, on the street, they hold my hand, hug me, and tell me their struggles and how I changed their lives. They show me their wallpapers, their wallets, and its all pictures of me!! They look at those pictures and want to make that change in their own lives. They look at my Built That Way campaign and have stuck it to their walls.'

Later, the actress was also seen flaunting her six-pack abs in the song 'Jaanemann Aah', along with Varun Dhawan, in the film Dishoom. The film had John Abraham and Jacqueline Fernandez in the lead with Akshaye Khanna playing the baddie.

Parineeti Chopra has also said that her transformation has helped her grab a lot of roles. In an interview, Pari said, 'When you look a certain way, filmmakers can expect something from you. They may think that an actor can pull off a certain role because of how they look... I got 'Golmaal Again' because the girl had to do a lot of action in the film. I don't think I would have got it had I not been fit.'

When the actress asked if filmmakers began viewing her differently after her weight loss, Parineeti Chopra said, 'I think yes. It is not necessarily the typical way that 'Now, she is looking sexy so, we will look at her in a different way.' Not at all. It is not like that. Our directors and producers are beyond all of this. They just saw that I could do something different.'

Parineeti Chopra said staying fit gives filmmakers a chance to visualise an actor in various roles. She said, 'When you look a certain way, your expectations from that person are of a particular type, that maybe she can only do these many roles. But when you give them a shock like this (her weight loss), they see you in a different way.'

Parineeti Chopra came under the scanner for her drastic weight loss, with some praising her dedication and some criticising her for sending out a negative message on body image. But the actress doesn't always pay attention to what people are talking about to avoid getting caught in a 'vicious circle'. Now Pari takes no pressure to look a 'certain way'.

In a recent interview with IANS, Parineeti Chopra said, 'You can't always pay attention to what people are talking about you. If you do, you will get into a vicious circle. You have to feel good, you have to feel fit. Fitness is extremely subjective and that's the fun of it.'

'Fitness is all about challenging yourself - every single day, every single training session' is Parineeti Chopra's mantra. 'If it doesn't give you the rush, the thrill, you will get bored. I look for something new, something to push my physical boundaries every single day. It is also changing your perspective towards health and harmony,' said Pari.

Parineeti Chopra was last seen in Jabariya Jodi. She played Sidharth Malhotra's on-screen love interest in the romantic action film! However, the film bombed at the Box Office.

Parineeti Chopra will be next seen in the Hindi remake of the Hollywood movie, 'The Girl On The Train'. The Hollywood film was based on the 2015 bestseller by Paula Hawkins and tells the story of a divorcee who gets entangled in a missing person's investigation that wreaks havoc in her life. Parineeti will also appear in Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar and Saina.

The actress is leaving no stone unturned to get into the skin of her character for Saina. where she will be essaying the role of ace shuttler Saina Nehwal. Ever since Parineeti Chopra announced that she would portray the role of the badminton player on the big screen, fans have been eagerly awaiting the film's release.

Parineeti had also been posting photographs from her training sessions, however, the pandemic brought everything to a standstill. But the actress is back again and sweating it out on the court!

Here's wishing all the very best to Parineeti Chopra for the Saina Nehwal biopic and a very happy birthday!