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A decade ago, Deepika Padukone began her career in films with Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om. As she returns to Bollywood screens after a two-year break, with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s new production Padmavati, the actor talks about her journey so far, learning to be herself and why she can never be a social media sensation.
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Padmavati is your most ambitious project so far in terms of scale. What does it mean to you?
It’s wonderful not just for me, but for women in cinema in general, considering the kind of budget woman-centric films have had in India. I’m extremely proud of the fact that today I’m in a place where producers (Viacom 18 and Bhansali Productions) not just trust me but cast me in a movie that primarily revolves around the life of a woman character. I have acted in woman-centric movies earlier, too, such as Piku. None of them were like this in terms of scale.
What did you find fascinating about the character of Padmavati?
I look at it through two different lenses. As an actor, I am excited about her strength and courage. I have played strong women characters in some of my films and each one of them is identifiable — be it Naina from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), Veronica in Cocktail (2012) or Mastani in Bajirao Mastani. All of them have a mind of their own. Same goes for Padmavati.
Today’s generation can relate to her courage. For me, the fact that such a film is made and supported is very empowering. Its first poster featured me as Padmavati. I have not seen that in a long time.
How much investment in terms of time and energy have you made?
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A lot. While we were shooting for Bajirao Mastani, one day Sanjay Leela Bhansali asked me: ‘What are you doing next year? Keep your dates aside as I’m thinking of doing a movie on Padmavati.’ So, this kind of started brewing some three years ago. A large part of the preparation for a film is a mental process. For me, it is not so much about going for diction classes or learning the dance moves — those are simpler. What’s important for me is that one is completely consumed by the character.
What kind of challenges did it pose for you as an actor?
It is weird that every time I talk about a movie, I feel that it is the most difficult role I have played. I have to say that again with Padmavati. I will work on my next (a movie produced by Vishal Bhardwaj on a gangster, Sapna Didi) in February. Everyone has been asking me why I am taking a long break before that. But I need that time off. Padmavati has taken so much from me — physically and emotionally — that I need time to rejuvenate and feel like myself again before I slip into another role.
How affected were you by the controversies around the film during its making?
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We are extremely proud and confident of the film we have made. When the heart is in the right place, no one can stop a film. While working on the film, as artistes, we were in a different zone. I only spoke up last month after I finished the film and came out of that zone (she reacted to a group of protester in Surat damaging a rangoli inspired by Padmavati). That’s when I wondered for how long are we going to remain silent?
That’s when I wondered for how long are we going to remain silent? For how long would the entertainment industry be made a scapegoat for everything that happens in this country? I believe we are constantly answerable to everyone for some reason or the other. Why attack cinema which is full of love and which brings people together? Why curb people’s freedom of expression? How long can we allow some people to get away with what they have been doing?
When you know someone in a certain way, to turn that dynamic on its head is quite challenging. We didn’t meet during the shoot. We didn’t have any idea about what the other person was doing.
This is your third film with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ranveer Singh. Ranveer and you played passionate lovers in the first two (Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela, 2013, and, Bajirao Mastani). In Padmavati, you don’t even share the screen with him.
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It is very weird! Sanjay sir brought the two of us together for two love stories and then he decided to put us in some kind of hate story. We are almost like the beauty and the beast in Padmavati.
You do a Chennai Express (2013) and then Finding Fanny (2014). How do you choose your projects?
The choice is instinctive. But I wish to keep the excitement alive. I find it very thrilling to get into different characters every six months. Even while picking my scripts, I follow my instincts. I am not looking at churning out X number of movies, but I want to do quality work. If I don’t like something, I won’t take it up. That’s something I’m never going to change. So, sometimes, there could be four films of mine in a year or just one.
This is your 10th year in the industry. How would you say the journey has been so far?
I have got way more than I had ever imagined. I also know that it is a result of my commitment, hard work and dedication. It has not happened overnight. Only my family, my team and I know what kind of effort it has taken. At the same time, I’m not complaining. I love what I do.
Which are the movies that became turning points in your career?
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Om Shanti Om (2007) definitely is one. Very few actresses would have had that kind of debut. Even today when I step out, people call me Shantipriya. After Om Shanti Om, there was Love Aaj Kal (2009) and Cocktail.
Cocktail consolidated your position as an actor. But was that the outcome of the hard work you put in the preceding years?
Hard work is constant and consistent. When people don’t like a film, it does not mean that hard work has not gone into it. Maybe we had not identified with what was being done. I have learnt on the job, evolved as a person and all that has made me the actor I am today.
Did you struggle to fit into the industry?
I would not say it was hard. However, I had created a certain pressure for myself. It was my own assumption that one has to look a certain way or conduct oneself in a certain manner until I realised that the best way is to be myself. That came after my on-the-field experience as well as through my share of ups and downs. I understood that there is a stereotype but I don’t have to make an effort to fit into that.
Have your looks ever worked to your disadvantage?
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They can be a disadvantage. I have been told that I was not offered some projects because I’m good-looking. A director I have worked with a couple of times told me: ‘You are too good-looking for this part. It does not work for the story.’ I have never really understood what that means. (After a pause) I find that’s a director’s shortcoming. If the director knows that I have the ability to deliver, then he should also know that I would have the ability to transform myself physically to essay that character.
You call yourself a shy and private person. How do you handle the public scrutiny of your life?
That’s what I am. I understand the public interest in my life, but I find it hard to deal with. At the same time, I have chosen to be in a field where it is part of what I do. So, I have come to terms with it. I would like to believe that I handle it well now. I am still awkward in large gatherings. But, if I can’t make conversation, I don’t put any pressure on myself. Besides, I don’t want to announce on social media what my mood is like or what I’m having for breakfast.
Earlier, you often spoke about your personal life, but now, you seem to be a lot more restrained about what you share…
There is no formula to that either. There are some parts of my life I would like to keep to myself. The rest is in the public domain. I may choose not to talk about certain things, but I don’t hide anything either.
What led you to speak about your depression?
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When I got better, something told me that I needed to share my experience. I am happy to see how the conversation around mental health has changed. We are acknowledging the condition and addressing it. Though the stigma attached to it still exists and we have a long way to go, people are actually observing Mental Health Day!
Was it cathartic?
I feel liberated today — I had caged it up within me for so many months. I could not understand what was happening to me. Since I am open about it, everyone knows what I have been through. Maybe a part of me felt responsible to help other people as there is a lack of awareness regarding it. Often, there is a conflict over what is going on in one’s mind. After I spoke up, at least some people jumped that phase. They can identify the symptoms. For me, recognising these symptoms was the hardest part. Getting over it was easier.
When you take a break between projects, what do you generally do?
I’m with my family. With them, it is more about doing things together like every other family. That keeps me grounded.
When all of you get together, are there frequent badminton games?
I have recently started playing badminton again. My racquets were rusting and the shuttles were getting musty. I play downstairs in my building in the evening.
Both your sister Anisha (she is a golfer) and you went on to make unusual career choices. What prompted your choices?
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We made our own career choices because our parents gave us wings to fly. They did not burden us with their expectations. That’s what my grandparents did with my parents. My parents have given us a normal and disciplined childhood without much luxury, like any other middle-class family. My sister and I are different from each other. My parents could see that and encouraged it. I was inclined to the creative world.
My sister, on other hand, is extremely calm and intelligent. She has become her own beautiful person today. A large part of my success is because my parents have been so supportive.
You are often spotted hanging out with other film personalities. What’s your social life like?
I am extremely grateful that I always had very supportive co-stars, directors and producers. The unfortunate fact about being an actor is that we are like nomads — we are constantly moving from one place to another. We build a life with a certain group of people when we work on a film, but just when we are emotionally getting comfortable, it is taken away from us. We move on to our next film and start the same process all over again. The good thing is that all of us are supportive of each other and we make the effort to stay in touch.
Recently, some female actors have talked about the exploitation and harassment they faced or face in the industry. You were an outsider when you came in. Did you face any such problem?
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I can only speak from my experience. Being an outsider, I was always told that Bollywood is equal to a casting couch. I have been very fortunate not to have experienced it. I am made to feel extremely safe and comfortable. But, perhaps, that’s not the case with other people.
I can see Willie Harcourt-Cooze’s Chocolate Bible in your living room. Are you a chocolate person?
I am a baking person. I enjoy cooking, but I love baking more. I bake quite often. Over the years, I have picked up books during my travels that mean something to me. Right now, this book is a display piece. Hopefully, it will soon make its way into my kitchen.
People’s Choice
Deepika is undoubtedly an amazing actor and an equally gorgeous person. I have always found her to be grounded, warm and gracious. Her success itself is an inspiring story. She is simple and honest and approaches each role with great intelligence. — Honey Trehan, director of her next film
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Deepika’s upbringing has given her a lot of discipline and the ability to work hard. She is obviously talented, but after Cocktail, she has been unstoppable. She has made brilliant choices by picking up different kinds of roles and by making them work for her. — Dinesh Vijan, producer-director
I have observed her growth from Love Aaj Kal. Over the years, she has grown as a person and also as an actor. That’s very important. Her performance has a lot of depth and she puts in a lot of heart into it. That’s possible because apart from being an amazing actor, she is a nice human being. — Mukesh Chhabra, casting director
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