(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Deepika Padukone opens up to City Times about how her choices have made her the person she is in Bollywood today even as she goes off the commercial blockbuster path with this weekends release Finding Fanny AT 28 SHE is in the prime of her career. And judging by the projects she is currently working on Deepika Padukone looks all set to rise even further in Bollywood. Ahead of the release of a quirky independent movie Finding Fanny City Times caught up with Bollywood’s golden girl to talk about how the choices she has made in her career have resulted in her being counted among Bollywood’s top actors.
QUEST FOR SUCCESS
Having come from a non-filmi background where she says she hardly watched two films a year Deepika Padukone has come a long way in Bollywood. But during her seven-year career she has managed to learn every trick of the trade from the film set. “I guess my enthusiasm is that much more because I do not come from a film family I know I keep saying it but it is the truth. I am from a city like Bangalore where there is not too much of a film influence and as a family we have all been athletes. My father was a sportsman I was an athlete and my sister is in sports. We were not the kind of family that watched too many movies. When I was growing up we’d probably watch maybe two films a year. So yeah fortunately or unfortunately my learning has been the physical time that I have spent on the sets of my films as an actor watching my co-stars at work. I can very confidently say that every move of mine has been my own whether it’s my success or my string of failures. It’s all made me the person that I am today and my own choices have taught me a lot.”
After scoring blockbuster commercial hits in 2013 like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani Chennai Express and Ram Leela the actor says that doing an offbeat film like Finding Fanny is not a calculated move on her part. “I have gone with my gut instinct whenever I have signed a film. I do not think you can calculate that process. It is a very organic thing I do not think ‘Oh what is going to happen next Friday’ For me the exciting thing is to be part of an interesting story that I would want to tell with my directors. Finding Fanny was one such story that I thought would be very exciting and will give me an opportunity to do something different. Not for the heck of doing something different but from the role that I was being offered at that time. A lot of people look at it as a calculative move because I had many commercial films that released last year and after all of that now Finding Fanny is coming out. The truth is I signed on Finding Fanny even before I signed any of those films. I agreed to come on board for this film as soon as we finished shooting for Cocktail. Homi and me had a conversation and we said whenever I get some time I would put in a month and make this movie. For now it might look like ‘Oh she is trying to do something different’ but the truth is that even before Yeh Jaawani or Chennai Express I decided on this one.”
BEST CHEMISTRY WITH NASEER
One of the secrets of great actors is that they can sizzle on screen with each other regardless of whether they are paired opposite each other or not. No wonder Naseeruddin Shah and Deepika’s chemistry is something to look out for in Finding Fanny. “It was amazing to work with him and if people think that I look at ease that is because he made me feel like that. I have to tell you after one or two scenes Homi and me were sitting one day and he said ‘Babes I thought about something; when jourallists ask me who you have the best chemistry with I have decided that you have the best chemistry with Naseeruddin.’ I was like that’s really cool. And the thing is there is no romantic angle between Naseer and my character. In fact there is a point in the film where he thanks Angie my character for encouraging him to do what we do in the film. I think that is a very sweet moment in the film and it sums up the relationship that Naseer and my character has. It is nice when people talk about chemistry it is not necessarily always in a romantic sense. It is nice to know you can have chemistry with someone who in the film is just a friend or someone you look out for or care about.”
Homi Adjania’s last film Cocktail contributed a lot in making Deepika a superstar. Finding Fanny was to be made five years ago. While chatting with us Deepika revealed that she believes that if the film had released at that time it would have been too early for its time and it is only now that the audience is ready to accept and understand a film like this. “I play a Goan girl called Angelina Angie in short. She lives in her own world. She is a bit naïve and innocent. She is someone who could have easily stepped out of this little village and done a lot more with her life but she is at peace with herself and happy doing nothing. She is happy being that little widow and living the regular everyday life with her mother-in-law. She is very peaceful and calm but at the same time mischievous and naughty. She has that little twinkle in her eyes.”
Ranveer’s cameo
Deepika’s reported boyfriend Ranveer Singh makes a cameo in this film as her husband. The enigmatic actor was required for half a day of shooting in Goa but ended up staying for over a week after he was done with his work. Deepika however does not want to take credit for Ranveer’s special appearance in this film. “I don’t think any of us actors had any role in this. I think to begin with just as an actor and a colleague he was very happy that his friends were bold enough to do a film like this at this point in their careers. He was very excited for us and for the fact that we were making a film like this. I think he happened to meet Homi at some point and I think Homi was just narrating the story to him and it was nice on his part to have agreed to do a small role that is literally like not even more than a minute. But I think there is so much to learn from. I just feel that this generation of actors is so much more willing to experiment with things and most importantly to have that kind of goodwill and have a fun time. That is it.”
The vivacious actress with arguably the busiest schedule in Bollywood is only promoting her films for the next two months. Once Finding Fanny releases she will start promoting Happy New Year till the end of October. Following which she will start shooting for Imtiaz Ali’s Tamaasha with Ranbir Kapoor Shoojit Sarkar’s Piku with Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani with Ranveer Singh. Arjun’s image makeover
Arjun Kapoor sheds his silent brooding image to portray a loser in denial in Finding Fanny
What inspired you to sign this independent quirky comedy
Homi came to me after watching Ishaqzaade when he decided that I could play Savio Da Gama. I got really excited about doing a film which is not primarily in Hindi; to talk in English in front of the camera and to perform that was a very exciting challenge for me as an actor regardless of whether I was capable or not. When you get some kind of a feeling in your stomach I think that’s when you should take the plunge and push yourself and discover facets about yourself as a performer. And the script really appealed to me regardless of whether it is in Hindi or English the story will appeal to each and every person.
Tell us more about your character.
I play Savio who has come back to his village after seven years; he is somebody who has got a lot of angst within him because he blames the world for his problems rather than introspecting and figuring out his life. He is very unhappy with the cards that he has been dealt in life. He is perpetually upset about that; so he is like a petulant child almost. The point is when you see him in the film you will feel a bit sorry for him because he is a loser in denial. So I found it very interesting to play a character with angst and all those issues and yet not be dark. He is not a villain or a negative character. It’s a very interesting take on life in that sense. People have a lot of issues in life that they do not tackle. Savio is one of them. In the course of this film he makes peace with a lot of his issues.
How was it working with veterans like Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapoor
I was nervous and exited. You get to learn so much. I am excited because it is like a free acting class for me. For me more than character it was interesting to see the kind of people that they are. They way they conduct themselves the way they do not carry the baggage of being so experienced they never once interfered in my process they got along so well with all of us. They made this whole experience memorable.
Deepika has been your friend for long. Does working with friends make life easier
I was already friends with Deepika so there was no worry about breaking the ice. It is always interesting to face the camera with your friends. Our friendship has been through this process which is similar in the film where we knew each other six years back but she got busy with her work and I got busy with my work and then finally we came on set and got to spend time with each other. A similar incident happens in the film as well.
What do you think of Homi Adjania as a director
I loved Being Cyrus. I enjoyed Cocktail and I love him as a person. I think it is very refreshing to meet directors who are that straightforward honest and clear about what they want. He is so entertaining as a person; he is very warm and kind. He never screams and shouts he does not have any negativity in him. artikhaleejtimes.com
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