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Masala! talks to Deepika Padukone

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Deepy tackles tricky questions on matter of the heart and career

Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone is not exactly known for her quotable quotes. She firmly believes in staying out of trouble by not ever speaking her mind. At best, her words are measured and well-thought out. Diplomatic she may be but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Ms Padukone is indeed one of the hottest and most interesting actresses in T’town today.
Her love life is constantly under scrutiny, especially with rumours of her and ex beau Ranbir getting back together and there were endless speculations about why she split with the suave Siddharth Mallya but Deepika braves all the rumours with her chin up and her head held high. We catch her during Cocktail – the film sees her at one of her glamourous best avatars!

Would you like to take on any traits of the free-spirited Veronica in Cocktail?

Yes I guess the beauty of Veronica is that she speaks her mind, is attention-seeking and has no qualms about what she does; she is super-confident and that makes her character even more special. We all live in a world in which we are trying to please others but Veronica is happy the way she is and it doesn’t bother her whether people accept her or not. You may feel she is bratty but the more you know her, the more you fall in love with her! Veronica does not have any hidden agenda – what you see is what you get. People like her are initially misunderstood but eventually, you respect them because they’re honest.

How is your chemistry with Saif different from what you share with co-stars your own age like Ranbir or Imran?

I don’t think the equation Saif and I share is something tangible. People loved our chemistry in Love Aaj Kal but that wasn’t a planned move. You can’t plan or fake chemistry; it just works or it doesn’t! Fortunately for us and the kind of films we did, it was essential that the lead actors have chemistry. Else, the story would have just fallen flat. I guess all these factors add to my equation with Saif.

How is Homi Adajania’s style different from that of an Imtiaz Ali who directed you in Love Aaj Kal?

At a directorial level I think they’re both quite similar. The only difference is that while Imtiaz is probably a little more Indian and desi in his taste, Homi is a lot more urban and contemporary. That’s the reason why I feel Cocktail is a beautiful mix of both. The soul and the heart is very desi (because Imtiaz has written it) while Homi has added a contemporary touch to it.

You’ve become a bigger style icon with Cocktail; how does this feel?

The entire credit goes to Anaita Shroff Adajania. Everything was left in her hands and there were times when I wondered whether certain things would work on screen but at the end of the day, I knew she would do a fantastic job. Even in Love Aaj Kal she managed to make our characters more identifiable and well defined through our style. Anaita manages to make a role more stylish and relatable which is why girls want to dress like these characters.

You have had your share of relationships and link-ups. What is your take on love at this moment?

My take on love has always been the same – it is something you cannot define in words and is something you just know when it’s right. Having said that, friendship in a relationship is the key; whenever you enter a relationship, start off as friends and only then take it to the next level.

Diana Penty makes her debut with Cocktail – what would your advice her be, as a fellow model-turned-actress?

I completely identified with her as I went through a similar process when I entered Bollywood from a non-film background with absolutely no experience. During this journey Diana will go through constant change – she will have to discover the process herself. I can give her advice and always be there for her. In fact I’ve been there for her throughout this film but eventually, it’s up to her to discover what she has to.