I am extremely happy in my relationship: Deepika Padukone

A star-studded dream debut opposite ‘King Khan’ of Bollywood, followed by an astounding success is nothing short of a fairytale.

Mumbai, June 13: A star-studded dream debut opposite the ‘King Khan’ of Bollywood, followed by astounding success and skyrocketing glory is nothing short of a fairytale. A tale that turned into reality for the doe-eyed beauty Deepika Padukone, who at the young age of 21 had achieved more name and fame than many acquire in a lifetime. But, if you think that all this would have been enough for Dips to sit back and gloat over her success, there is news. Unlike her easy onscreen image, this stunner is a hard-core professional, who doesn’t let anybody lead her path, even if it’s her beau Ranbir, Deepika is a persona for her own will. Talking to Swati Chaturvedi of Spicezee.com on her show Kahiya Janab , the stunning belle spoke of her career, love-life and her relationship with her potential mother-in-law.

Swati: At such a young age, you have become accustomed to so much stress and responsibility. Don’t you feel at times like quitting it all? Deepika: No. Not at all and it’s because I love what I do. My profession makes me feel great and as long as I am happy doing it, I will continue with it. Swati: An astounding salary package like yours at such a young age is a huge achievement. Do you feel that income acts as an incentive in your field? Deepika: Oh yes. At times income, fame and success that come from being in the industry do act as an incentive. But then again, if one does not love one’s work then there is no point being in this field. And it applies to all professions. One has to love one’s work to give it one’s best. Like my father, he only became a renowned badminton player because he loved the sport. Swati: You started out pretty young. Were you scared? Deepika: No. Neither I nor my parents were scared. They always knew that I wanted to be a part of the film industry, so they supported me throughout. They knew that I was not only talented but also responsible to make wise choices. Swati: Earlier there were a lot of rumours about casting couch in Bollywood and how girls from small cities are being exploited. Were you intimidated by such horror stories? Deepika: I am fortunate that I have neither met someone who has been through all this nor have I ever experienced such incidents. I don’t think that it’s apt for me to comment on this. Swati: Your first film was a dream debut. Do you consider yourself lucky to have acted with Shah Rukh in your very first film? Deepika: Of course, I do. I think it was a very big thing to get a break opposite Shah Rukh Khan. But apart from all the luck, I would say that I had to work really hard to achieve what I have. I must have done something right for Farah to notice me. I feel that it was mixture of both luck and hard work. Swati: How far are the stories that Farah would always scold you, true? Deepika: There is no truth there. It just so happened once that there was a party at Shah Rukh’s home. The next day, I reported late on the sets and Farah got upset. I went and told Shah Rukh that it was because of his party that I got scolded. Then Shah Rukh went and cleared the air as he told Farah that it was his fault. I might have cried a little, as I was feeling very guilty about the whole episode. But Farah was never nasty to me. Swati: What about the stories that you and Farah had fallen apart? Deepika: No way. She means so much to me. The only time such baseless rumours crop up is when I am not in the country to clear them. In fact, the whole of last year, I was out for a good 8-9 months. During this time whenever I thought of her, I messaged her. She has a huge influence on my life. I know that she’ll always be there for me just the same way as I will be there for her. Swati: Are you planning to blog? Deepika: Maybe in future. And if at all I do, it will be to connect with my fans. Swati: After ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ lots of your fans were angry as they found that you and Ranbir shared very little screen time. Are you two planning to do a film again? Deepika: We do realise that fans want to see us as the next big screen couple and we are considering some projects together but nothing is finalised as yet. Swati: Your work is extremely time-consuming. Are you ever tempted to sign films starring you with Ranbir, just so that you can spend time together? Deepika: Never. We are too professional to think like this. We do a film only if we wish to be a part of a set project. We don’t read scripts together. In fact, at times, I don’t even come to know if the same film has been offered to him. We do discuss our work but not to the extent of hunting scripts that feature us together. Swati: So how did you meet Ranbir? Deepika: I think it’s too personal a question for me to answer. A lot has been said and written about my personal relationship. The primary reason we came in the open with our relationship was because we wanted people to respect our relationship and privacy, but it only became worse. I just want to be remembered for my work and the characters that I play. Think about it, how many industry veterans do you find who have been remembered for their relationships? Swati: There are rumours that Neetu Singh is angry with you? Deepika: I feel that if she is angry with me she’ll tell me herself. She doesn’t need to tell the media. She is a very talented and mature woman, I am sure if she has anything to tell me, she will. I am very happy in my relationship. Swati: Your comment that you are the female Akshay Kumar raised a lot of speculations… Deepika: Of course, it did. But though it was meant to be humorous, it was completely blown out of proportion. I mean what is wrong in saying that, Akshay is a very successful actor and is a role model for many. There is nothing wrong in wanting to be him. Swati: You plan to pursue sociology and economics. Tell us about that. Deepika: See, when Farah approached me for the role I was still in college. And as my college was very strict regarding attendance, I had to quit it in order to pursue films. So now, I plan to finish my studies via correspondence and I will give my exams whenever I find the time. Adapted by : Tanu Talwar