Bikini and a Cocktail: Deepika Padukone back on form

Deepika Padukone (AFP)

Published Sunday, June 17, 2012

By Lipika Varma

When we met up with Deepika Padukone recently, we started off by saying how similar the Deepika-Saif Ali Khan pairing in ‘Cocktail’ seemed to ‘Love Aaj Kal.’

Deepika instantly retorted, “In fact, there is no similarity at all. What is similar is Saif and me. The moment audiences see both of us on screen they are reminded of ‘Love Aaj Kal.’

“‘Cocktail’ is a totally different flick. The film is fun-filled, a story of disloyalty, friendship, love, and confidence.

“Imtiaz Ali has written a good script and Homi Adjania has picturised it well. Before comparing both films or establishing similarities, I think you guys need to wait and watch ‘Cocktail’.”

Deepika claims she was privileged when it came to her role in ‘Cocktail.’

“I was really pampered. The director narrated the whole script to me and asked me to choose one of the two female characters in the film. So, I picked the role of Veronica,” she claims.

“Veronica is secure, confident about life, and conducts herself the way she likes,” she reveals.

“In real life too, I have come a long way. Initially, when I started working in films, travelling from the South to Mumbai was a tedious job. I always wanted to make enough money and buy a place for myself.

“Now, I am happy that I have made a comfortable home for myself. My journey to this day has been a great learning experience. I have no insecurity. I know my way about,” she says.

Her bikini shot in the film has garnered a lot of attention. However, we remember a time when Deepika had told us in an earlier interview that she would never don a bikini.

She says she felt comfortable donning a bikini for the role and adds, “After the promos were released, I received a lot of compliments. These compliments are all that we actors crave anyway.”

‘Cocktail’ also marks the acting debut of model Diana Penty. We wondered if there were cat fights on the sets. Deepika laughs and says, “Why do you media guys look for cat fights? We are all professional actors and while on the sets we are only worried about playing our parts well to the best of our abilities. We have no time to mess up.”

Is everything only professional or does she manage to make friends on the sets as well, we wonder.

“I have friends from my home town, friends from school who I meet up with whenever I have free time. I make it a point to spend quality time with them.

“In this industry, you cannot really make friends. Working together you might share a good rapport with each other and whenever you meet at some party you exchange a cordial ‘hello’. I am good friends with Shahana Goswami though.”

The other films that Deepika is currently working on include ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani’ with Ranbir Kapoor, ‘Race 2,’ and ‘Pirate’.

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