To an outsider, it seems Deepika Padukone has achieved it all – from big banner films and awards to endorsements, appreciation and a whole lot of attention. But the 30-year-old actor has not let her accolades get the better of her. “Nothing has changed for me; I’m just a normal girl,” said Deepika in an interview. “I believe life changes in a way you want it to and I don’t think mine has changed drastically. Yes, there are things that come with the profession but the basics are more important,” she added.
For the Bollywood beauty, the past is the past and it does not bode well for one to dwell upon it. “I don’t miss anything about my past and choose to do things that are meaningful and special to me,” she shared. “Sometimes, we unnecessarily complicate our own lives but I choose to live a life that is not complicated.” According to her, this simplicity stems from her father, celebrated badminton player Prakash Padukone.
Ever since her debut in 2007 film Om Shanti Om, Deepika’s career arc has upended expectations. Tall, eloquent and precocious, her forte lies in the ease with which she manages to slip into her characters, whether it is the nerdy Naina from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, the brazen Leela fromRam Leela or the doting daughter in Piku. She was last seen as a valiant warrior-princess in Bajirao Mastani and is now gearing up for Hollywood, with a role opposite action star Vin Diesel in XXX: The Return of Xander Cage. “I am very excited and, at the same time, nervous about the film,” she added. “You are constantly trying to get better at what you do and perform better than what you did last. I want to be part of different kinds of films. That’s really the aim.”
Soon to complete a decade in Bollywood, Deepika has all her goals laid out before her. “Most importantly, I want to be a part of meaningful films that will be remembered for a long time,” she said. I’m just hoping that 2016 will be as special as last year.”
