'I have lost all interest in IPL'

grounded actress

Her screen presence and sense of style have transformed her into one of Bollywood’s most sought-after actresses. But Bangalore girl Deepika Padukone still remains extremely grounded and doesn’t miss any opportunity to spend time with her family.

“I get extremely nostalgic when I come here,” says the actress, who was in the City
recently. “There is no way that I can come to Bangalore and not meet my parents. I miss the City, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like being in Mumbai. Mumbai has given me many opportunities — it is a safe and comforting city,” she notes.

She consciously chose to become an actress but explains that she has had her share of ups and downs. “Everyone has their share of struggle. Mine has been learning to cope with a new industry, new people and a new city. It has been a personal struggle as well a professional one. A person who is born and brought up in Mumbai would just have to concentrate on their work, but I did not have that luxury. I moved out of home so I had to manage a house, maids, electricity and water bills. I also had to reach the set on time and work well — it has been a real challenge,” she says.

Deepika adds that she has always had an independent streak in her. “I have always been a very independent person. I used to travel a lot when I played badminton. My parents allowed me to move to Mumbai because they felt I would be able to manage,” she says.

Her relationship with co-star Ranbir Kapoor has always been in the news, but Deepika clears the air saying that they will always be friends. “I did not have to make any special effort to bring out the chemistry between me and Ranbir for this film. For us, it comes very naturally — it comes from the fact that we have known each other as friends and have always shared a comfort level. On the contrary, when I am doing a film with an unknown person, we have to get to know each other,” she explains.

Ask her about her latest project Yeh Jaawani Hai Deewani and she says, “There is a young energy in the promos and songs of the film, which comes out because we are all like-minded people — we are in the same age group and have been friends for a while. We met Kalki and Aditya on a trip to Manali last year. We were inseparable — even after the shoot, we would go out for dinners and walks. As far as Ranbir is concerned, we have always been friends — clearly, former lovers can be friends,” she quips.

Deepika was a big part of the IPL last year and is disappointed with the scandals coming out. She says, “I believe in fair play and after hearing about match-fixing allegations, I have lost all interest in the IPL. I don’t know if I’ll watch the finals.”

Acting with Rajnikanth has been quite an experience for this young actress.
Kochadaiyaan, she says, is an international film. “Cinema is beyond language. Kochadaiyaan is a film that will be presented as an international film and will be released in several languages. It is made with a technique which has been used by India for the first time,” she sums up.