In my mind I'm not different from any male actor: Deepika Padukon
The svelte actress, who ruled the box office in 2013 with four successive 100-crore hits, talks about movies and things that mark
Image: Getty Images
Q. You’ve just returned from Dubai where you did a concert. Do you enjoy stage shows?
I have never done too many stage shows because I like doing them properly. Only if I have enough time, I do it. Some people can do it with a day’s practice, like Shah Rukh has a great memory, can remember all his steps and has done it for many years now. I like to be thorough in what I do. I know it’s a contrast to the way this industry behaves, but I like to be prepared.
Q. Would you call yourself a method actor wherein you study the character first? Or do you simply attempt to look the part?
A bit of both. If it’s a specific character, I like to read, rehearse and prepare. Though for the performance, I like to keep it spontaneous.
Is there a correlation between letting go of a relationship and focusing on career?Q. For Chennai Express, did you have to prepare?
The accent was the only thing I needed to work on. Performances within the scene are all spontaneous and organic. Not planned orrehearsed.
Q. Which have been the toughest roles in your career so far?
Suddenly it sounds like I’ve had a full career since I have had five releases dhadadhad. Each role, though, is quite different. I think the toughest at that point of time … was tough playing Veronica [in Cocktail] since it was quite different from what I am. But in hindsight, I think it was still easy because I just became that part.
Q. How do you get into the zone?
My mind is constantly working. I am an observer. I like watching people. I like to talk less and observe more. And that’s my inherent nature, not just for films. That’s helped me along the way. I enjoy observing at airports and sitting in a car. Some things… they just stay with you.
Q. How do you define your sex appeal?
If people want to understand who I am, then I am Naina Talwar of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Sensuality, strength of a woman… sometimes these things are in the way a character is written. And for someone like Leela, [in Ram Leela] it was written like that. So I just played the part.
Q. For every actor, time at the top is limited. Is there an anxiety and wanting to make the most of it by developing an alternative business?
I don’t have a business mind but I am surrounded by smart people like Dinesh Vijayan from Illuminati [Films]. He is someone who is my confidante and brother. Then I have Anirban Blah of Kwan and my Dad …these are people who I really trust. Dad handles my money and future investments.
I am what I am because of my films. So it’s the time that I spend in front of the camera that has made me the person that I am today and that will make me the person I will be in future. And that nobody can make me do. How I approach my performance, my roles is what only I can do, nobody can advise me on that. So I would much rather focus on that than business or investments, money management etc.
Q. What are your views on the longevity of a female lead actor versus a male actor? Why do actresses have a shorter shelf life?
Let’s not shy away from the fact that it [gender bias] exists, but if I keep acknowledging this fact, then I will not be able to do anything different. In my mind I am not different from any male actor. If a guy can work till he is 40, 50 or 60 then why shouldn’t I? I am not thinking of marriage in the next 5 years. Rather, I am thinking that even if I get married in the next 5 years and have kids, what are the kind of films I can do… the movies where I can balance family life and still continue to work. I don’t think work ends after marriage. I do plan to work towards extending the time given to female actresses. I think until we change the way we look at this, anything is going to change. So I don’t even acknowledge it. I think the question itself is wrong.
Q. What would you like to do on holidays?
I don’t want to go out, don’t want to see an aircraft, don’t want to be in a hotel, don’t want to eat outside. The only indulgence right now is to be at home and eat ghar ka khana. I have been living out of suitcases for the last one-and-half years and now I just want to be home.
Q. Earlier the media spoke more about your relationships but now your performance is the focus. What lessons have you picked up? Has there been an inward-looking and decision-making for the future?
Maybe it’s a bit of both. The focus earlier was on my relationships because my films were not doing well. Today there is enough to talk about my performances, so media has shifted focus. From my side I have realised that being open about your past relationships is not possible in our country. People don’t respect the fact the two people are in a relationship and they should just let them be. Everything is under scrutiny. I guess if you are a public figure, you are bound to be scrutinized. So I don’t think I am emotionally ready to invest in a relationship right now. Yes, others might feel I am being guarded about my personal life and don’t want to talk about it. But honestly, I am not in one and not ready to be open enough to talk about it [even if I am in one].
I don’t have the time to be in one, and I am very traditional and conservative in that sense. If I’m in a relationship then there is no in-between for me, I give 100 percent to it. Which is why, whether we like it or not is time consuming which I am not ready for.
Q. What do you do in your me-time?Which me-time? In the last two years I have had none. I have been working for months together without a break. And now I have a house to run, so I get very little time. The only time I watch a move is on a flight. For me watching TV and movies though is last priority. Top priority is my home, immediate stuff that needs to be done at home. Running a house in Mumbai is not easy as I do single-handedly. But I am a spa junkie and like to work out. My friends have disowned me right now.
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Image: Getty Images
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Q. You’ve just returned from Dubai where you did a concert. Do you enjoy stage shows?
I have never done too many stage shows because I like doing them properly. Only if I have enough time, I do it. Some people can do it with a day’s practice, like Shah Rukh has a great memory, can remember all his steps and has done it for many years now. I like to be thorough in what I do. I know it’s a contrast to the way this industry behaves, but I like to be prepared.
I have never done too many stage shows because I like doing them properly. Only if I have enough time, I do it. Some people can do it with a day’s practice, like Shah Rukh has a great memory, can remember all his steps and has done it for many years now. I like to be thorough in what I do. I know it’s a contrast to the way this industry behaves, but I like to be prepared.
Q. Would you call yourself a method actor wherein you study the character first? Or do you simply attempt to look the part?
A bit of both. If it’s a specific character, I like to read, rehearse and prepare. Though for the performance, I like to keep it spontaneous.
A bit of both. If it’s a specific character, I like to read, rehearse and prepare. Though for the performance, I like to keep it spontaneous.
Is there a correlation between letting go of a relationship and focusing on career?Q. For Chennai Express, did you have to prepare?
The accent was the only thing I needed to work on. Performances within the scene are all spontaneous and organic. Not planned orrehearsed.
Q. Which have been the toughest roles in your career so far?
Suddenly it sounds like I’ve had a full career since I have had five releases dhadadhad. Each role, though, is quite different. I think the toughest at that point of time … was tough playing Veronica [in Cocktail] since it was quite different from what I am. But in hindsight, I think it was still easy because I just became that part.
Q. How do you get into the zone?
My mind is constantly working. I am an observer. I like watching people. I like to talk less and observe more. And that’s my inherent nature, not just for films. That’s helped me along the way. I enjoy observing at airports and sitting in a car. Some things… they just stay with you.
Q. How do you define your sex appeal?
If people want to understand who I am, then I am Naina Talwar of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Sensuality, strength of a woman… sometimes these things are in the way a character is written. And for someone like Leela, [in Ram Leela] it was written like that. So I just played the part.
Q. For every actor, time at the top is limited. Is there an anxiety and wanting to make the most of it by developing an alternative business?
I don’t have a business mind but I am surrounded by smart people like Dinesh Vijayan from Illuminati [Films]. He is someone who is my confidante and brother. Then I have Anirban Blah of Kwan and my Dad …these are people who I really trust. Dad handles my money and future investments.
I am what I am because of my films. So it’s the time that I spend in front of the camera that has made me the person that I am today and that will make me the person I will be in future. And that nobody can make me do. How I approach my performance, my roles is what only I can do, nobody can advise me on that. So I would much rather focus on that than business or investments, money management etc.
Q. What are your views on the longevity of a female lead actor versus a male actor? Why do actresses have a shorter shelf life?
Let’s not shy away from the fact that it [gender bias] exists, but if I keep acknowledging this fact, then I will not be able to do anything different. In my mind I am not different from any male actor. If a guy can work till he is 40, 50 or 60 then why shouldn’t I? I am not thinking of marriage in the next 5 years. Rather, I am thinking that even if I get married in the next 5 years and have kids, what are the kind of films I can do… the movies where I can balance family life and still continue to work. I don’t think work ends after marriage. I do plan to work towards extending the time given to female actresses. I think until we change the way we look at this, anything is going to change. So I don’t even acknowledge it. I think the question itself is wrong.
Q. What would you like to do on holidays?
I don’t want to go out, don’t want to see an aircraft, don’t want to be in a hotel, don’t want to eat outside. The only indulgence right now is to be at home and eat ghar ka khana. I have been living out of suitcases for the last one-and-half years and now I just want to be home.
Q. Earlier the media spoke more about your relationships but now your performance is the focus. What lessons have you picked up? Has there been an inward-looking and decision-making for the future?
Maybe it’s a bit of both. The focus earlier was on my relationships because my films were not doing well. Today there is enough to talk about my performances, so media has shifted focus. From my side I have realised that being open about your past relationships is not possible in our country. People don’t respect the fact the two people are in a relationship and they should just let them be. Everything is under scrutiny. I guess if you are a public figure, you are bound to be scrutinized. So I don’t think I am emotionally ready to invest in a relationship right now. Yes, others might feel I am being guarded about my personal life and don’t want to talk about it. But honestly, I am not in one and not ready to be open enough to talk about it [even if I am in one].
I don’t have the time to be in one, and I am very traditional and conservative in that sense. If I’m in a relationship then there is no in-between for me, I give 100 percent to it. Which is why, whether we like it or not is time consuming which I am not ready for.
Q. What do you do in your me-time?Which me-time? In the last two years I have had none. I have been working for months together without a break. And now I have a house to run, so I get very little time. The only time I watch a move is on a flight. For me watching TV and movies though is last priority. Top priority is my home, immediate stuff that needs to be done at home. Running a house in Mumbai is not easy as I do single-handedly. But I am a spa junkie and like to work out. My friends have disowned me right now.
Sunny Leone dances in a pink bikinis
In the film, Ek Paheli Leela, Sunny Leone will be seen dancing in a hot pink number.
Shahrukh Khan On AIB Roast: Can't Take Sides....................................
"I always say that if you don't like something don't watch it," Shah Rukh said
Twinkle to Tabu: 10 Women Making Bollywood Look Good
God knows that Bollywood, with its casual sexism and perpetuating of stereotype, badly needs all the PR help it can get. The Khans are too busy. One is otherwise occupied in 'scolding' colleagues who annoyed him by participating in a public spectacle that skewered Bollywood stars, without having first asked him if they could or if he approved. The remaining Khans are employed in making slightly glitzier versions of the boy-meets-girl/boy-saves-world potboilers they've built their careers and fortunes on for about 25 years or so. Yet, no thanks to them, this is the smartest, savviest and most interesting version of Bollywood we've seen.
In this Bollywood, Varun Dhawan, former loverboy, takes a chance with a dark revenge thriller like Badlapur; Shahid Kapoor, also an ex-loverboy, acquits himself with honours in a role as complex and daunting as Hamlet; almost no film of note is made without either Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui; and a collective of filmmakers with no dynasty clout form Phantom Films, challenger to the mighty Yash Raj Films.
However, this is not the story of Bollywood's heroes but of its heroines, who are no longer voiceless nor confined to the maiden/mother/crone roles both on-screen and off it, that they were once scripted into. Here are 10 of the many Bollywood women who are currently scripting their own destiny.
Twinkle Khanna: This former actress has recently become what Aamir Khan has not - a celebrity voice that tells the world when it's out of control but with so much wit and self-deprecating humour that the world is happy to hear what she has to say . As Aamir preaches his gospel to a rapidly shrinking congregation, the faithful are switching channels to Twinkle's columns and Twitter, in which she addresses everything from censorship to her family's opinion of her jokes.
Kangana Ranaut: Small town girl. No English. No famous last name. For many with celluloid dreams, these would be crippling disadvantages and Kangana is the first to admit that it hasn't been easy. But very quietly, almost without anybody noticing, she's transformed herself from perceivedbehenji to a one-woman blockbuster. She's also proved that being articulate has nothing to do with accent. When Kangana speaks, the world listens.
Deepika Padukone: This former supermodel's career was travelling a well-worn path in the wake of other pretty faces, talent optional, until she turned in three back-to-back performances that had critics blinking in surprise. She then proceeded to break a few rules by publicly telling off a national daily for publishing a photo that focused on her cleavage and writing about battling depression and seeking medical help. Deepika's resume might still contain the odd Happy New Year or two but she need no longer worry about being reduced to movie star Barbie - if she ever did worry - because we already know she isn't.
Kalki Koechlin: The adorable Kalki has limitless options on-screen, playing roles as diverse as the bleak Girl in Yellow Boots to supporting characters in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani to the wheelchair-bound protagonist of Margarita With a Straw. She performs feminist pieces on stage, has appeared in a satirical short film about sexual violence and is vocal about women's issues. Everyone loves her to distraction.
Huma Qureshi: Gangs of Wasseypur's Mohsina, Dedh Ishqiya's Muniya and now Badlapur's Jhimli. Huma is no underfed Bollywood waif and doesn't feel the need to be, much like Sonakshi Sinha. Unlike Sonakshi, however, she doesn't make that the centerpiece of her performances.
Tabu: Oh, Tabu. She broke our collective heart in Maqbool. She did it again in Haider. Tabu doesn't pretend to be anything that she's not. She's an actress, a hugely talented one, and she lets her film performances speak for her. They speak volumes.
Dimple Kapadia: Twinkle's mother started life as a teen idol, the object of a nation's affections in her bikini and miniskirts in Bobby. She restarted 10 years later, with two children and a failed marriage behind her, as a crystal-eyed bombshell in Saagar. Anybody wanting proof of life after heroine-hood in Bollywood should look to Dimple and her performances as a hilariously acerbic not-quite-a-widow in last year's Finding Fanny; an unfaithful Parsi wife in Being Cyrus; an alcoholic older woman drinking herself to death in Dil Chahta Hai; and a Rajasthani 'professional mourner in Rudaali, a role she took just a decade after she began life as a leading lady again.
Anvita Dutt: The Queen lyricist is the Kangana of a new breed of Bollywood writers. With fellow writers Kausar Munir and Rashmi Singh, Anvita occupies an important corner in an almost entirely male-dominated world within a world. This year's Filmfare Best Lyricist nominees featured both Kausar and Rashmi, who won.
Sneha Khanwalkar: Gangs of Wasseypur's music director Sneha's 2013 nomination for Filmfare Best Music Director came nearly 30 years after the only other female composer to have been nominated - Usha Khanna in 1984, for her work in Souten. This year Sneha scores Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! , one of 2015's most-anticipated films.
Juhi Chaturvedi: The Vicky Donor writer won the Filmfare Best Story Award in 2013, joining 1961 winner Ruby Sen and Honey Irani, winner in 1992 and 2001. Juhi writes this year's Piku, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone.
In this Bollywood, Varun Dhawan, former loverboy, takes a chance with a dark revenge thriller like Badlapur; Shahid Kapoor, also an ex-loverboy, acquits himself with honours in a role as complex and daunting as Hamlet; almost no film of note is made without either Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui; and a collective of filmmakers with no dynasty clout form Phantom Films, challenger to the mighty Yash Raj Films.
However, this is not the story of Bollywood's heroes but of its heroines, who are no longer voiceless nor confined to the maiden/mother/crone roles both on-screen and off it, that they were once scripted into. Here are 10 of the many Bollywood women who are currently scripting their own destiny.
Twinkle Khanna: This former actress has recently become what Aamir Khan has not - a celebrity voice that tells the world when it's out of control but with so much wit and self-deprecating humour that the world is happy to hear what she has to say . As Aamir preaches his gospel to a rapidly shrinking congregation, the faithful are switching channels to Twinkle's columns and Twitter, in which she addresses everything from censorship to her family's opinion of her jokes.
Kangana Ranaut: Small town girl. No English. No famous last name. For many with celluloid dreams, these would be crippling disadvantages and Kangana is the first to admit that it hasn't been easy. But very quietly, almost without anybody noticing, she's transformed herself from perceivedbehenji to a one-woman blockbuster. She's also proved that being articulate has nothing to do with accent. When Kangana speaks, the world listens.
Deepika Padukone: This former supermodel's career was travelling a well-worn path in the wake of other pretty faces, talent optional, until she turned in three back-to-back performances that had critics blinking in surprise. She then proceeded to break a few rules by publicly telling off a national daily for publishing a photo that focused on her cleavage and writing about battling depression and seeking medical help. Deepika's resume might still contain the odd Happy New Year or two but she need no longer worry about being reduced to movie star Barbie - if she ever did worry - because we already know she isn't.
Kalki Koechlin: The adorable Kalki has limitless options on-screen, playing roles as diverse as the bleak Girl in Yellow Boots to supporting characters in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani to the wheelchair-bound protagonist of Margarita With a Straw. She performs feminist pieces on stage, has appeared in a satirical short film about sexual violence and is vocal about women's issues. Everyone loves her to distraction.
Huma Qureshi: Gangs of Wasseypur's Mohsina, Dedh Ishqiya's Muniya and now Badlapur's Jhimli. Huma is no underfed Bollywood waif and doesn't feel the need to be, much like Sonakshi Sinha. Unlike Sonakshi, however, she doesn't make that the centerpiece of her performances.
Tabu: Oh, Tabu. She broke our collective heart in Maqbool. She did it again in Haider. Tabu doesn't pretend to be anything that she's not. She's an actress, a hugely talented one, and she lets her film performances speak for her. They speak volumes.
Dimple Kapadia: Twinkle's mother started life as a teen idol, the object of a nation's affections in her bikini and miniskirts in Bobby. She restarted 10 years later, with two children and a failed marriage behind her, as a crystal-eyed bombshell in Saagar. Anybody wanting proof of life after heroine-hood in Bollywood should look to Dimple and her performances as a hilariously acerbic not-quite-a-widow in last year's Finding Fanny; an unfaithful Parsi wife in Being Cyrus; an alcoholic older woman drinking herself to death in Dil Chahta Hai; and a Rajasthani 'professional mourner in Rudaali, a role she took just a decade after she began life as a leading lady again.
Anvita Dutt: The Queen lyricist is the Kangana of a new breed of Bollywood writers. With fellow writers Kausar Munir and Rashmi Singh, Anvita occupies an important corner in an almost entirely male-dominated world within a world. This year's Filmfare Best Lyricist nominees featured both Kausar and Rashmi, who won.
Sneha Khanwalkar: Gangs of Wasseypur's music director Sneha's 2013 nomination for Filmfare Best Music Director came nearly 30 years after the only other female composer to have been nominated - Usha Khanna in 1984, for her work in Souten. This year Sneha scores Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! , one of 2015's most-anticipated films.
Juhi Chaturvedi: The Vicky Donor writer won the Filmfare Best Story Award in 2013, joining 1961 winner Ruby Sen and Honey Irani, winner in 1992 and 2001. Juhi writes this year's Piku, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone.
BOLLYWOOD FINALLY OFFERS A FILM WHICH MAY JUST BE ON ITS WAY TO HUGE SUCCESS
A still from Badlapur
Director Sriram Raghvan gets to have the last laugh. After the debacle of Agent Vinod, the director's latest offering is Badlapur, which has unanimously got a thumbs up from the film critics.
45 days into the new year, and after a series of dreadful films like Tevar, Hawaizaada, Khamoshiyan and others, Bollywood finally offers a film which may just be on its way to huge success. For now, Badlapur can safely celebrate an early win with critics heaping praise on it. (Also Read: Movie Review: Badlapur)
Badlapur, starring Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Yami Gautam and Huma Qureshi, is the story of a 40-year-old man (Varun) on a mission to avenge his wife's (Yami) murder.
NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee says that Badlapur is an unconventional film for the revenge genre. He wrote: "Average Bollywood revenge dramas thrive on predictability. They rarely, if ever, tamper with the bad guy-good guy construct. Badlapur is an exception."
Critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted:
45 days into the new year, and after a series of dreadful films like Tevar, Hawaizaada, Khamoshiyan and others, Bollywood finally offers a film which may just be on its way to huge success. For now, Badlapur can safely celebrate an early win with critics heaping praise on it. (Also Read: Movie Review: Badlapur)
Badlapur, starring Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Yami Gautam and Huma Qureshi, is the story of a 40-year-old man (Varun) on a mission to avenge his wife's (Yami) murder.
NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee says that Badlapur is an unconventional film for the revenge genre. He wrote: "Average Bollywood revenge dramas thrive on predictability. They rarely, if ever, tamper with the bad guy-good guy construct. Badlapur is an exception."
Critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted:
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