Parineeti Chopra named among India’s top 75 young achievers in UK, honoured as University of Manchester alumna

Actor Parineeti Chopra was named among India’s top 75 young achievers in the UK and was honoured as a University of Manchester alumna. In her acceptance speech, the actor shared that life has come full circle.

Parineeti Chopra is one of four University of Manchester alumni to have been honoured for their achievements after graduation. To celebrate 75 years of India's independence, the British Council’s India/UK Together’s Season of Culture recognised the work of 75 young achievers who have been educated in the UK. The actor was singled out for her achievements in the Arts, Culture & Entertainment category.

Parineeti Chopra received her Bachelor of Arts in Intl Business, Finance & Economics in 2009 from the University of Manchester.

The gala ceremony to honour the 75 Achievers was held on January 25. The awards were handed out earlier this week. Somdip Dey, Dr Srijan Jinda and Arundhuti Gupta were the other University of Manchester alumni honoured as young achievers. While accepting her award, Parineeti had said, "Life has come full circle and I’m so glad to be back where it all started! Having studied at Manchester Business School, to be able to come back, receive this award and celebrate it at the UK Parliament is such an incredible, special feeling." The actor received her Bachelor of Arts in Intl Business, Finance & Economics in 2009 from the university.

In a 2017 interview with Mumbai Mirror, the actor had opened up about her different path before joining films, "My years in Manchester were filled with different academic experiences and loads of fun. In my final semester, I began applying to investment banking firms. I didn’t want to restrict my options to just the UK and was keen to take up any good corporate job anywhere in the world."

She added, "However, I guess destiny had other plans for me as my graduation in 2009 coincided with the global recession a subsequent dip in the job market. I returned to India empty-handed and was wondering what to do. I was always a a dreamer and seen as a top-notch corporate honcho with a leading bank and was pretty upset when I had to start from scratch back home."

Parineeti decided to come to Mumbai and stay with her cousin Parineeti Chopra. She later got a job with Yash Raj Films as an intern in the communications department and moved up as a marketing and public relations executive. She happened to be spotted by director Maneesh Sharma who offered her a part in Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl in 2011. Last seen in the drama Uunchai (2022), she is also acting in an untitled film with Akshay Kumar and Imtiaz Ali's Chamkila biopic with Dijit Dosanjh.