Badminton champion Saina Nehwal has once again spoken about the renewed chatter around her 2021 biographical film Saina, which featured Parineeti Chopra in the lead role. Directed by Amol Gupte, the movie did not perform well commercially but recently returned to discussion online after fans noticed that Parineeti no longer follows Saina on Instagram.
Earlier, Saina had brushed off the issue, saying she was unaware of it and believed the actor had simply moved on after the film. Speaking recently to journalist Vickey Lalwani, she repeated that she has no ill feelings. “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.
She also spoke warmly about Parineeti’s commitment to portraying her on screen. Although they did not develop a close personal bond, Saina said she respected the effort the actor put into preparation. “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 explained.
Saina added that she personally guided Parineeti through the technical aspects of badminton, including serving, footwork, and strokes. She noted that the actor may have also studied her mannerisms and speaking style to make the performance authentic. “She worked very hard and performed extremely well. I even got emotional watching the film,” she said.
When asked whom she would choose if her life story were filmed again, Saina immediately mentioned Shraddha Kapoor, who had originally been selected for the role but withdrew because of illness. “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,” Saina shared.
Despite the revived online speculation, she maintains that both actors approached the project sincerely, with Parineeti ultimately bringing her journey to the screen while Shraddha remains her personal first choice for the role.
Parineeti Chopra, who recently welcomed her first child with husband Raghav Chadha, has not issued any further statement regarding the social media discussion.
