Badminton star Saina Nehwal has once again addressed the ongoing buzz surrounding her 2021 biopic Saina, starring Parineeti Chopra. The film, directed by Amol Gupte, underperformed at the box office but drew attention online last month after fans noticed that Parineeti had unfollowed the athlete on Instagram.
Saina had previously downplayed the matter, saying she didn’t know about it and assumed Parineeti had “moved on” after the film’s release. In a recent interview with journalist Vickey Lalwani, she reiterated her stance, adding that she holds no grudges. “I didn’t know that she unfollowed me. Maybe she was focused on work, and once the film was done, she moved on to her next project,” she said.
‘We never became friends, but she worked very hard…’
Saina praised Parineeti’s dedication and said that while they didn’t become close friends, she admired the actor’s effort to get the details right. “Friendship requires spending a lot of time together, but there wasn’t enough time since the film had to be released quickly. We weren’t meeting every day,” she said.
“I helped her with skills — how to serve, movement on court, forehand and backhand. She may have also observed my behaviour and how I speak to portray it on screen. She worked very hard and performed extremely well. I even got emotional watching the film,” Saina added.
‘Shraddha was the first choice…’
When asked who she would pick if her biopic were ever made again, Saina was quick to name Shraddha Kapoor. The actor was, in fact, the first choice for Saina before she had to exit the project due to illness.
Speaking warmly about Shraddha, Saina said, “We are still in touch, and I’ve met her many times. She’s a very sweet girl. She had agreed to do the film but had to opt out due to dengue.”
Despite the renewed chatter, Saina continues to maintain that both actors worked hard in their own way, with Parineeti bringing her story to life on screen and Shraddha remaining her personal favourite for the role.
Meanwhile, Parineeti Chopra, who recently welcomed her first child with husband Raghav Chadha, has not commented further on the social media buzz.