I have no sense of money

• Sarita A Tanwar

Being a producer is the obvious next step for an actor. While for male actors, it is just a formula to make their projects commercially viable; for female actors it is a necessity. In most Bollywoodfilms, leading ladies have little to do. Few studios want to produce films with the leading lady as a protagonist. So if an actress wants to play hero', chances are, she will have to make the film herself. LikeAnushka Sharma did with NH10. Priyanka Chopra, too, also announced her banner. Not Deepika Padukone.

Not foolish
For some actresses, turning producer is the only way to stay in the business. The acting offers stop coming, so in a bid to stay in the limelight, they turn to production and start announcing projects featuring them. Most of these films never release. Then there is a Deepika Padukone, who is at the top of her game today being wooed by every actor and filmmaker. She'd be foolish to get into the hassle of producing films. And she is not foolish. The actress is not planning to shift her focus from acting, anytime soon. Although she admits, "I'd love to do production work, but not be a producer. I mean if I have a team that will do it for me, then fine because I don't think I have the bandwidth or capacity to take on the role of a producer."

Me know no math
A producer's job is complex. It includes everything from reading scripts to hiring screenwriters to managing budgets, crunching numbers and even scouting for talent. But it has its perks. Deepika can actually make films happen that might otherwise never get made, simply by adding her name to it. She smiles, "I just want to put it out there and let people know that I have absolutely no sense of math or money. So if someone has a great script and they need to add my name to sort of greenlight a project, I am happy to do that. But I have no business sense basically."

Need a secretary?
She further adds, "I am someone who loves being systematic and organised. So if anyone from the industry is looking for a line producer, I'd be happy to do that. Also, I like to put things in place and in order. I keep telling Dinu (Dinesh Vijan) that. I am like You need a secretary/assistant, please tell me. So taking printouts, filing, arranging .. I love doing all of that, I love it."