Parineeti, Holding Her Own in a Man's World at 27

All of six films old, Parineeti Chopra has already won a National Award even though she is as far removed from the standard Bollywood bombshell as it is possible for a lead actress to be. Yet, her girl next door looks and her energetic performances have contributed to the actress being hailed as Bollywood's next big thing. The actress was recently seen in the web series Man's World, a quirky take on gender discrimination.

Here is a look at her Bollywood journey as she turns 27.

Born in Ambala on October 22, 1988, Parineeti's father Pawan Chopra is a businessman and mother Reena, a homemaker. She has two brothers and is trained in Hindustani classical music.

Parineeti studied at Convent of Jesus and Mary in Ambala and later moved to London to receive a triple honours degree in business, finance and economics from Manchester Business School. In several interviews, the actress has confessed that she always aspired to be an investment banker and, in her own words, is an "accidental actor."

In the wake of the economic recession, Parineeti returned to India in 2009 and joined Yash Raj Films as a publicist. It all started when director Maneesh Sharma of Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl was casting for the film. Parineeti went for a dummy audition and was selected.

She later signed a three film contract with Yash Raj Films.

Parineeti, made an impressive debut as the brash, loud mouthed Dimple Chaddha in Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl in 2011. Though she had a small role and shared screen space with three other actresses, she was noticed and the role fetched her a number of Best Debut awards, including at the Filmfare, Stardust and IIFA shows.

There was no looking back for Parineeti as she continued her winning streak with her second film Ishaqzaade (2012). Her portrayal of feisty Muslim girl Zoya pleased critics and audiences alike and she won the National Film Award - Special Mention at the 60th National Film Awards.

In her third film Shuddh Desi Romance (2013), Parineeti portrayed the role of an outspoken, small town girl Gayatri. Though the film did average business at the box office, the actress was singled out for praise.

Audiences loved Parineeti in the role of a mad scientist in 2014's Hasee Toh Phasee produced by Dharma Productions and as a shoe sales girl in Habib Faisal's Daawat-E-Ishq which released the same year.

In 2014, Parineeti was also seen in Shaad Ali's Kill Dil, with Ranveer Singh and Ali Zafar. The film failed to make a mark at the box office.

Apart from films, Parineeti is a regular on ramps during fashion shows.

The actress endorses several brands like Nivea, Kurkure, Spinz and WeChat.

Parineeti has been linked to actors like Uday Chopra and Jackky Bhagnani in the past. But she vehemently denied both connections