Perneet Chauhan is a true blue sardarni, born in Vasco Da Gama, Goa, and raised across Delhi, Goa, Chennai and Mumbai. Coming from a family where her grandfathers, uncles and even her father are in the army and navy, getting into acting was not the obvious choice. The actor, who has been living in Mumbai for over two decades, worked her way to reach where she is today. Perneet has done shows such as Love Ne Mila Di Jodi, Geet, Mile Jab Hum Tum, Yam Hai hum, among others. She was last seen in Humkadam. The one thing that is noticeable is the gap in her professional career.
“I had just taken a short break of 3-4 months in 2018 after which I actively started looking for work. When it’s not your time I guess it’s not. Sometimes luck is just not on your side. I was almost about to do a show with a leading production house but last minute things changed. Ironically that show shut in three months. Again I took up a show and when my part was about to pick up the show shut down. So the reason behind such a long gap is that I guess my time wasn’t running well. It can happen to anyone. I am sure 2022 will bring new opportunities,” she says.
Perneet is looking for substantial parts. “I really want to break the stereotype that this industry creates and do something out of the box. I would love to play a strong character on screen, be it a doctor, lawyer, cop, defence officer… it will be a challenge to take up a role that I’ve never done before,” she adds.
So what’s her dream role? “I don’t know about dream role but a few characters I liked include Jennifer’s [Winget] role in Beyhadh, Sushmita Sen in Aarya… I also loved Code M,” she answers.
The Covid scenario has changed the way we live and work. “It has changed a lot of things. I am trying my level best to stay positive and hopeful no matter what. Hope is something we all need to keep in our hearts. It helps us to move forward,” shares Perneet, whose name comes from Praneet, which means calmness.
Perneet always wanted to be an actor, and never had a plan B. However, she does have certain things in mind that she is keen on exploring in the future. “I always feel I want to help people, especially those struggling with confidence or self-image. So I would want to be a counselor and help them,” she explains.
Ask her about the changes that she feels happened in the entertainment industry over the years, and Perneet says, “I think the work culture has changed. More than your work the pressure is on marketing yourself which wasn’t there so much 8-10 years back. Social media has almost become a basis of an actor’s qualification sadly. And, of course it’s definitely becoming harder and much more competitive.”
