Deepika Padukone talks about the evolution of Brand Deepika', and getting honest feedback from her parents
Deepika Padukone has just returned from the SLAM world tour, and is now neck-deep in promotions for Happy New Year. Despite the whirlwind pace of her work, Dippy sat down for a candid chat with us.
Today, are you aware of the impact Brand Deepika has? The global audience went mad with your entry during the concerts...
(Laughs) The only thing that I was thinking when I was up there, making the entry, is that I hope I don't fall down. Yes, I could hear the entire stadium shouting my name but I have no perspective on what it is like to be Deepika Padukone. I don't know what she is like. (Pauses) I can never articulate this, I've made it very complicated.
Try again...
(Thinks awhile) Okay, basically, I will never know what it is like to be me. Is it a great feeling the love and appreciation from the global audience? Yes it is. But I will never know what all this is from an outside perspective. I would be lying if I tell you that I am not aware of it, but I wouldn't know the magnitude of it. Maybe I don't want to know.
The video in which you and Ranbir were dancing in Corsica, was that an act for the local crowd?
No, they were all dancers who were part of that sequence. It was an emotional moment and the dancers started crying and feeling sad as it was a schedule wrap for Tamasha. That's the disadvantage of the movie business. We have to move on. They don't understand our language but they were attached to us. I was emotional too.
Ranbir Kapoor was doing a Dev Anand jig...
(Smiles) It's related to the film.
Coming to Happy New Year, your accent is again the talking point, was this one easier to pull off?
I know the accents are coming back-to-back and it's not about being easy or difficult. I think we should like Meenalochini's character (from Chennai Express) for what it was and allow Mohini (from HNY) to have her own journey. If I may say so, Meenama's accent has become iconic, especially the bakwaas dialogues. I hope I've been able to do something special in HNY.
Did you have to put in a lot of effort for the Lovely song given that it was going to be your promo shot?
Yes and I had to rehearse all the steps for a week. After my first day, I realised that if I have to do this song, I need to have more stamina. Also, my stomach was showing so I had to eat certain kinds of food before we actually started shooting.
In between travelling and film shoots, how do you stay connected with your parents in Bengaluru?
When I sign a film, I only tell them about the signing, then I give them updates about the shoot. I never tell them the story and I make them watch the film because I would like them to see it as the audience. I get honest feedback from them.
Any words of advice from Prakash Padukone?
My father taught me that you could be the most successful person in the world, you can have all the money but what you have to be, is a good human being.
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