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Top actress’s mother demanded Parinda narration to her first, Vidhu Vinod Chopra said his father will give it: ‘We will meet if…’

Filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra recently revealed that he pitched his film to a popular South Indian actress but her mother insisted that she will hear the narration first.

2 min readGoaNov 22, 2025 06:56 PM IST

Vidhu Vinod Chopra spoke about his film Parinda.

Filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra graced the stage at the 56th International Film Festival of India, Goa, once again this year. During his session with moderator Abhijat Joshi, titled ‘Unscripted – The Art And Emotion of Filmmaking’ on the third day of IFFI, he shared many interesting anecdotes from his filmmaking journey. During the interesting session, Vidhu revealed that one of the top actresses of his early days used to send her mother for a story’s narration first. He also shared his witty reply that left her mom stunned before his film Parinda’s (1989) narration.

When Abhijat asked Vidhu if he remembers the anecdote, the filmmaker requested him not to name the actress and said, ‘Maare jaayenge nahi toh (we will be in trouble)’. “In Parinda time, there was a very famous, top actress. We had to narrate the story to her. My assistant told me that the narration is at 10 in the morning tomorrow and her mother will listen to it. I was shocked and questioned again. He told me that her mother listens to it first, if it’s fine, then the actress listens to it,” he recalled.

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Vidhu further added, “I asked him to call her mother, I picked it up and said that I won’t be able to do the narration tomorrow because my father lives in Kashmir, and it will take time for him to travel till here. She questioned, ‘What has your father got to do with it?’ I told her that if the mother is listening, then first my father will narrate. If you two can’t get along, then the children will meet. This was when I had nothing, she was the top heroine.”

Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Parinda featured Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Nana Patekar and Jackie Shroff. The film was a major critical and commercial success.

Navya Kharbanda

Navya Kharbanda is an Entertainment Journalist and Cinematic Commentator at The Indian Express, where she specializes in bridging the gap between classic Bollywood heritage and contemporary Gen-Z perspectives. Her work is characterized by a blend of nostalgia-driven analysis and on-the-ground reporting from major film festivals and industry events. Experience & Professional Background Navya is a prominent voice on The Indian Express entertainment desk, known for her ability to secure candid interviews with both legendary veterans and rising stars. Her career highlights include: The Indian Express: Covers a wide range of topics from high-stakes box office analysis to in-depth celebrity profiles. She is a regular at major events like the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). SCREEN Interviews: Navya has conducted a series of "exclusive conversations" for SCREEN, featuring industry stalwarts like Anupam Kher, Vishal Bhardwaj, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and Suhasini Maniratnam. Archival Reporting: She is noted for her sensitive handling of archival interviews and retrospectives, recently covering the legacy of late superstar Dharmendra and the career reflections of the late Satish Shah. Expertise & Focus Areas Navya’s beat is uniquely defined by her "Gen-Z Revisit" series, where she re-evaluates cult classics through a modern lens. Her core areas of expertise include: Cinematic Retrospectives: Analyzing 80s and 90s landmarks like Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, and Mohabbatein to explore how themes of romance and rebellion resonate with today’s youth. Industry Insights: Tracking the career resurgences of actors (e.g., Akshaye Khanna) and the evolving dynamics of film production and distribution in the OTT era. On-Set Dynamics: Reporting on behind-the-scenes stories from major productions, ranging from the technical challenges of Mirzapur: The Film to the work ethics of superstars like Shah Rukh Khan. South Indian Cinema: Expanding her coverage to include the impact of regional icons and the rise of pan-Indian fantasy epics like Magadheera. Authoritativeness & Trust Navya Kharbanda has established her authority by consistently providing "Journalism of Courage" in the entertainment sphere. Whether she is interrogating the sexism in patriarchal classics or reporting on the fair-pay debates at international film festivals, her work prioritizes factual accuracy and critical objectivity. Her ability to synthesize deep industry history with modern audience trends makes her a trusted source for readers seeking both entertainment news and thoughtful cultural commentary. ... Read More

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