'Ranbir's the Happiness of my life' -Deepika

Her real and reel life so far is what fairytales are made of. She is the daughter of India’s most iconic badminton player, she wowed the modelling world with her understated beauty and poise, and she romanced none other than Shahrukh Khan in her silver screen debut. After winning awards and accolades for her twin roles in 2007’s biggest blockbuster, Om Shanti Om, Deepika plans to set celluloid ablaze with a comedy for Yash Raj and an action flick opposite Akshay Kumar. And oh yes, she has the suave Ranbir Kapoor as her boyfriend. Yet, amidst the hype, Deepika is calm, unfazed…

Being Deepika Padukone at 22... How’s life?
I’m enjoying myself thoroughly. Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate all this coming my way so early in life but, honestly, I always wanted this and I’ve finally got it. I wanted to make a name for myself as a famous model but films were never on my mind. I loved Hindi film music but you’d be surprised to know that we only watched only four or five of the biggest Hindi hits a year.

And now you’ll play the leading lady in out-and-out commercial Hindi films!
(laughs) Yes, it’s ironic! We were always a sports-inclined family, my father (Prakash Padukone) being an ace badminton player of his time. Even today, my folks don’t know much about Bollywood cinema and its stars.

Yet they supported your career decisions?
Absolutely. My father always knew he wanted to be a sportsman. In those days, badminton wasn’t the most tried and tested career option and people had reservations about the sport. But my grandfather never opposed my father’s rather unconventional choice. My parents too always encouraged my sister and me to follow our hearts. When I told them that I wanted to model, they were as supportive of my decision as they are of my career in showbiz.

Do they advise you on films to sign or avoid?
No they don’t. Since they are not ardent Hindi film fans, they’ve left that to me. But they do take keen interest in what I do and I always keep them abreast of not just my work, but my personal life too. I’m in touch with them daily. They also look after my finances entirely.

You’re evidently quite close to your folks. What kind of a rapport do you share with them?
An ideal relationship. Neither too formal nor too casual. I know what liberties to take with them and where to draw the line.

Did you ever dream of being launched in a Farah Khan film romancing SRK in your Bollywood debut?
Not in my wildest dreams! I feel truly blessed and flattered that the industry has received me so well. Farah and Shahrukh are two people I can depend on for the rest of my life. They both are extremely close to my heart.

Could you foresee the unimaginable commercial success of Om Shanti Om?
No, not at all! We all knew it would do well at the box office, but we never thought it would be the year’s biggest grosser. While shooting, we had our concerns and fears but they were wished away when the film was so well received. The time and energy we’d dedicated paid off.

Shahrukh feels he was being dishonest as an actor while professing his love for you during a scene in OSO because you were eight when you saw Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge!
(laughs heartily) What can I say? It’s true. I was eight when I saw DDLJ. When I’m asked about my favourite actors, I name the stars I’ve grown up watching. And I belong to a generation which has grown up watching Shahrukh and Madhuri on screen! So with all due respect to senior actors who have done some amazing work, I can only relate to the films I’ve grown up watching and most of them include Shahrukh! (laughs)

Did the age gap make you feel awkward when romancing Shahrukh onscreen?
Not really! That’s what acting is all about. All about conviction. Moreover, who wouldn’t want to romance Shahrukh Khan? He’s such an incredible co-star. Supremely confident, profusely talented, so charismatic... He has this innate ability to make his co-stars feel good about themselves. His confidence just rubs off on everyone who works with him.

Was Farah—who’s known to be quite irreverent and outspoken—a tough taskmaster?
Not at all! She’s one of most easygoing people to work with. And it’s fantastic that’s she’s outspoken. At least, everyone knows what’s going on in her mind. She was the first director I interacted with as she approached me for OSO. She wanted to take my career forward from a model to an actor. With implicit faith, she signed me on without a single screen test and that boosted my confidence.

What was going through your mind when you shot your first scene with Shahrukh?
Yes, it was the confrontation scene with Arjun Rampal with Shahrukh evesdropping... He was extremely supportive, lending suggestions but never imposing his views. (pauses) There’s so much to say about Shahrukh that I don’t know where to begin. I don’t want to go on and on because in my heart of hearts, I know it’s NOT my first and last time with him! I’m sure there’ll be many more movies where we’ll be paired.

You took some acting, dance and diction lessons before you started shooting for OSO, right?
Yes, the dance lessons were vital to shoot the elaborate dance sequences. I also sought diction classes to perfect my Hindi pronunciation. And when I was signed on for OSO, I enrolled myself in Anupam Kher’s acting institute for three months. That made a big difference. The course helped me build a decent knowledge base on world cinema, not just Indian cinema.

Bollywood is known for its backstabbing, lobbying, deception... What lessons have you learnt in your year here?
Honestly, I don’t think there’s that much negativity. I’ve interacted with some really wonderful people. Everyone’s so warm and welcoming that talk of deception seems alien to me. It’s a small world where everyone knows everyone and most people I’ve met are wonderful.

But in a small world, news travels fast. Isn’t that a problem?
I don’t understand. In what way? Gossip has more to do with the media than the industry. So many baseless mediacreated reports surface daily. But I’m here to do some great work and be part of fantastic cinema. Beyond work, it does not matter what people say!

How do you stay calm despite all the hype and hysteria?
(laughs heartily) Thank you. I take that as a compliment. That’s how I am, have always been. And because I am the way I am, I come across as boring to some, snobbish to some and arrogant to others! (laughs)

Not even a year old in the industry, and you’ve had your share of link-ups. Does the speculation bother you?
It doesn’t affect me. Deep down, when I know the reports are false and baseless, there’s no reason for me to react or retaliate. But when my parents were new to the ways of the industry, it would bother them. But no more! Now they understand how the media functions and know that not everything that's reported is true.

You sound like a yogini. How do you stay unfazed? I have inherited my father’s attitude. He told me when someone praises you, take it in your stride, accept it graciously, rejoice in it for a few days and move on. And when someone criticises you, hear him out, ponder over it, act constructively and move on. So, my approach to accolades and criticism is more or less the same. I don’t take either too seriously!

What’s it like filming for Nikhil Advani’s Chandni Chowk to China in Bangkok with Akshay Kumar?
I can’t say much about the film at this point. It’s being co-produced by Warner Bros. It’s a hardcore action film starring the ultimate action hero, Akshay. I feel extremely lucky to have done my first romantic film with Shahrukh and my first action film with Akshay. I took action lessons from international stunt directors for two months before shooting.

How is Akshay as a co-star?
Wonderful. And again one of those stars I’ve grown up watching! He possesses tremendous energy and incredible acting prowess. He’s definitely one of India’s best action heroes. I’ve learnt a lot from him.

Next up for you: Yash Raj’s Bachna Ae Haseeno opposite Ranbir Kapoor. The experience has been...
…absolutely great. Technically, it’s the first film I’ve shot outside India. It’s a terrific script with a terrific cast. Siddharth Anand, the director, is very easygoing. The entire team is young, vibrant, energetic. That almost makes me sound like a veteran who’s done it all! (laughs heartily) But I had a fab time shooting for it

On falling in love with Ranbir during the filming of Bachna Ae Haseeno…
“We went on a harmless date way before OSO and Saawariya released. As we were both busy with our debuts, we hardly had time to spend with each other. But the media made it seem like we were in a serious relationship and then they even wrote about our split! (laughs) They even said that Sanjay Leela Bansali was livid with Ranbir because he was seeing me and requested him to break off our relationship. Also that Farah wanted me to concentrate on the film! It was all bizarre and baseless. But while shooting for Bachna Ae Haseeno, we got to spend a lot of time together, get to know each other better and, yes, we confessed our feelings once the film was complete.”

On what Ranbir has brought into her life...
“A lot of happiness and stability. I trust him completely. I can discuss anything and everything with him. I’ve found a great companion in him. He is truly the happiness of my life!”

On getting along so well with Ranbir’s parents, Rishi and Neetu Kapoor...
“I must admit I was slightly nervous when I first met them! But Ranbir made the entire process a lot simpler for all of us. His parents are among most loving, most caring, most wonderful people I’ve ever met. I love to spend time with them. In fact, when I get time off and am in town, I make it to point to be with them.”

On whether Ranbir and she are contemplating marriage...
“Ah, I see you have honourable intentions for us! But we still don’t know. We are extremely happy together. We are enjoying a wonderful relationship. We are well settled in it. But it’s too early to think of marriage. Let’s see what the future holds...”

On her alleged link-up with Mahendra S Dhoni…
“Absolutely nothing transpired between Dhoni and me. The media quizzed him on his fave actress, he happened to name me and the media totally jumped the gun. Next thing I knew, I was in a full-fledged relationship with the man! I found the episode completely bizarre. Especially when I’d said that the day I found the right man, I’d announce it. Which is exactly what I did by making my relationship with Ranbir official.”

And on her relationship with Yuvraj Singh…
“Yuvraj and I met a couple of times and were in the process of getting to know each other better when the media jumped to crazy conclusions. It insinuated that we’d got engaged and were all set to get married. Even wedding dates were printed. It was all so ridiculously insane!”

On Yuvraj’s mother stating: “Deepika is a nice girl but she shouldn’t have done what she did to Yuvi…”
“The day that story was carried, Yuvraj’s mother personally called me up to clarify that she’d been misquoted, that she never made any such statement about me. I know she’s quite fond of me and I’m extremely fond of her. If there were any awkwardness between us, she wouldn’t have called to clarify her stance. She’s a wonderful woman and I respect and admire her. I have learnt a lot from her.”