Olympic medalist Saina Nehwal has finally addressed a small but much-discussed social media detail that caught fans’ attention after the release of her biopic Saina. While the film earned praise for Parineeti Chopra’s performance, many noticed that Parineeti does not follow Saina back on Instagram — a detail that sparked online speculation.
Now, Saina has offered a calm, no-drama explanation.
“I never really noticed it”
Speaking on Subhojit Ghosh’s YouTube channel, Saina revealed that she never paid attention to who follows whom on social media. According to her, life during that phase was packed with training schedules, tournaments, and professional commitments.
She explained that whatever interaction she had with Parineeti was strictly limited to the film and its preparation. There was no expectation of friendship, nor any personal bond beyond work.
A purely professional equation
Saina made it clear that her meetings with Parineeti were structured, infrequent, and always work-focused. They met occasionally — sometimes once every few weeks — usually in the presence of the director. During those sessions, Saina spoke about her life journey, career struggles, and experiences as an athlete so Parineeti could better understand the character.
There were no dinners, lunches, or off-set hangouts that could naturally lead to a personal friendship. “It was mostly about the work she was about to do,” Saina said, underlining that both of them knew exactly why they were meeting.
No friendship, no expectations
Addressing the online chatter directly, Saina noted that since they never became friends in the first place, questions about following or unfollowing each other don’t really apply. She added that people often read too much into social media actions, while real-life equations are often far simpler.
As of January 29, neither Saina Nehwal nor Parineeti Chopra follow each other on Instagram.
About Saina
Released in 2021, Saina traced the rise of the badminton star from a determined young player to an international champion. While the film received mixed reviews overall, Parineeti Chopra’s transformation and performance were widely appreciated. The biopic is currently streaming on Prime Video.
Final words
Saina’s response puts the speculation to rest — no fallout, no cold war, just a professional collaboration that ended where it began. Sometimes, a film is just a film, and not every story needs a social-media sequel.
