2015 has been a wonderful year - Deepika Padukone | Exclusive Birthday Interview

Once again, the year belonged to Deepika Padukone, as she charmed her fans and cinema goers with delightful performances, one film after another. With Piku, she broke stereotypes and won several hearts with her impactful act, while with Tamasha, she earned accolades and love for her impeccable performance as Tara. Deepika ended the year with a bang, as she stormed the box office with an epic love saga - Bajirao Mastani. As the charming and beautiful warrior princess Mastani, Padukone created magic on the screen with her graceful performance. Needless to say, the actress is all set to sweep multiple awards yet again (well, the rounds have already begun, as she has already bagged two Best Actress trophies at a few recently concluded award functions). The stunning actress celebrates her 30th birthday today, and currently, she is on a much deserved break. On her special day, we bring you an up, close and personal conversation with Deepika Padukone, where she speaks about films, fashion, life and more.

On 2015

It has been a wonderful year, on both the professional and personal front. I couldn't have asked for more. From Piku to Tamasha, and now, Bajirao Mastani, each film has been special.
(This is what Deepika Padukone has to say about being experimental with her roles)

On Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Our actress - director relationship has been based purely on trust. It is a pleasure and honour to work with him, especially in two beautiful films. He is a taskmaster, and a very demanding director. He is very clear about what he wants and in that process, he pushes you to discover something new in yourself. Something that even you didn’t know. In that process of working under a hard taskmaster, you learn so much. Portraying Mastani and working on the film has been the most difficult experience of my life, but when you see the end result, everything seems worth it!

On Imtiaz Ali

Over time, there is a lot of trust, love and respect that grows between an actor-director, who have worked together on a few films. The same goes for Imtiaz and me. It won't be wrong to say that I am his fan, and in a lot ways, I also admire him. It is almost like a modern day guru - shishya relationship, because we are also friends and the fact that he is always open to criticism and advice from our end as well. That is because of our love for him. Imtiaz understands the human being that I am. He values your opinion and will be all ears to listen to you at any time. And I love sharing my thoughts with him for two reasons, because he is non-judgemental and the fact that he has known me almost since the time I started off in this industry. I take his advice very seriously. And that is largely how we worked on Tamasha. We were not bound by a ready script. A lot of times, we were just asked to improvise. Imtiaz would just call us and say, "These are the lines, but I want you to improvise and act it out the way you would. Show me what all you can do." That's the kind of freedom he likes to give his actors and puts his trust in you, in order to make sure that you deliver your best.

On Fashion

Fashion for me is what I believe in. The clothes that I wear should suit my body structure and I should be able to carry it off with ease. I am not dictated by fashion masters telling me, “You should wear this, because it is in trend.” Every individual should just go out there and wear what suits your personality. There’s much more to life than just following trends. Also, I have never been someone who is conscious about the brand that I wear nor have I been loyal to any particular brand. I have never been brand conscious. It’s all about the kind of stuff that I like wearing. 

On Films

I am someone who believes an actor needs to be honest about their work and give their 100 per cent while working on a film. It is that honesty and truth that shows when the film releases and eventually, reflects at the box office too. When you are honest about your work, the audience can see that very well. A recent example of this was Piku. There was no planned release date, no big announcements. A lot of people would say, "why are you doing this film?" Oh! You are paired opposite Irrfan, so weird!" But, I had a lot of faith in the film and its content. Our intentions for making this film were very true and honest. Everything else just follows. And eventually, the film got a great reception and a lot of love.

Image source: Hello Magazine

On the Film Industry

I am a 'go with the flow' kind of a person, and I am quite happy with the way things are going in the industry. No regrets. 

On Style statement

My style has always been simple, very basic. I like my outfits to be comfortable and wearable. It’s been this way since sometime and my style hasn’t changed a bit. You will never see me in anything that makes me feel ill-at-ease. I might experiment with styles like, edgy or goth for my photoshoots, but that doesn’t come naturally to me. My everyday, casual look would be white teamed up with either tan or denim. I like my clothes to be in lighter hues, more like a white or some pastel shades. Another colour that I like is coral. Also, I don’t really like accessorising too much. A simple watch or a good pair of sunglasses is enough.

On Live, Love, Laugh

The fight against depression is a cause very close to my heart and is one of the largest health issues that the country is facing today. Having experienced depression in the recent past, I realise how difficult it is to recognise the problem, find information and get the right kind of professional help. during the initial stage, the foundation will work on removing the stigma attached to depression and spread awareness about it. All the information will be available on our website for anyone who needs any kind of help in dealing with stress, anxiety or depression.

On 2016

I haven't signed any film. So, there is nothing that I am working on as of now.

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Love,

The Dancebee