Reena Chopra: Pari is my mentor
Amother and daughter bond like no other. In the run-up to Mother’s Day on May 12, our exclusive series delves into the cherished bond between a unique mom and daughter duo. Today, we shine a spotlight on the enchanting relationship between actor Parineeti Chopra and her artist mother, Reena Chopra, as the latter reveals some delightful anecdotes.
PURSUED ART SERIOUSLY BECAUSE OF PARINEETI...
“My journey as a professional artist has been relatively short but incredibly fulfilling. I owe much of this satisfaction to Parineeti, as she was the one who encouraged me to pursue art seriously. I haven’t received any formal training in art; I’m self-taught. However, it was Parineeti and my sons (Sahaj and Shivang) who gifted me my first artist kit and urged me to dedicate time to my own passions rather than solely focusing on family obligations,” Reena begins, her voice filled with warmth and admiration.
“My genres are mostly inspired by my travels and by the differences in culture that I experienced in the first few years of my life when I moved from Kenya to India. And all that is translated into some kind of visual journey, which I’m very proud of today. Because it was my personal journey, a lot of it actually struck a chord with people who saw my art and ultimately reached out to me wanting to own some of it. So that’s when the realisation took place that maybe honesty in your art is something that really reaches out to people, and that’s what I’ve been trying to do so far,” Reena shares while talking about her art.
ROLE REVERSAL
“Even though I am her mother and always will be, now at times, I feel that the roles are reversed. She’s literally my 4am friend in the real sense of the word,” she goes on, “Today, I feel she’s my mentor, my guide. She’s the best person to give me all kinds of advice that I need, whether it’s personal or professional.”
When we are together, it’s all about discussing the next homemade meal, or solving a jigsaw puzzle, or just playing board games. A lot of our talk is just sarcastic banter, where she has the most amazing one-liners.
REENA CHOPRA, Artist and Parineeti Chopra’s mum