Why Parineeti Chopra replaced Shraddha Kapoor in 'Saina' biopic?

However, Parineeti Chopra was not the first choice in playing the role of Nehwal. It was Shraddha Kapoor who had initially bagged the role. Images also started doing the rounds on social media with Shraddha's projected look in the movie. Under what circumstances then, Chopra replaced Kapoor?

Filmmaker Amole Gupte recently opened up about the reasons Kapoor exited Saina. He said that the actor's health issues at the time stopped her from giving 100 percent to the role. He mentioned earlier just a couple of weeks into the production, Kapoor had come down with dengue and had to eventually leave the film. She was replaced by Parineeti Chopra in 2019.

In an interview with PTI, Gupte said Kapoor's health made it difficult for her to train for long and exhausting hours for the sports drama. "Initially we had Shraddha in the film, who was completely prepared for the role, which is why we started shooting. But then she fell ill, she got dengue which took the wind out of her. Since it was a sports film, she couldn't muster the courage to come for 12 hours and stand on a badminton court while she was unwell," the filmmaker said.

The director, who is known for his critically-acclaimed films, credited Chopra for getting familiar with the sport within a short span of time."Parineeti is a wonderful actor. In six months, she picked up badminton skills and worked with utmost dedication. She is a clever actor, she allows you to see her best. You can't give 15 years of your life to learn badminton and then come on the floors.