"Kissing scene was necessary for film, so why make such a big fuss?" - Deepika

By Devansh Patel, Bollywood Hungama News Network

Deepika Padukone is four films old but too young when it comes to working with her male co-stars. All the actors, with whom she has worked with, except Ranbir Kapoor, are almost fifteen years older to her, which takes us back to our first meeting with Miss Padukone in London during her red carpet arrival for the premiere of Om Shanti Om. She was wearing a sexy red dress and painted the Leicester Square red. Back to aaj, she has matured in love and how. We see her in a lovey-dovey pink to promote her upcoming film Love Aaj Kal in front of a packed Indian media. A suburban girl who shot to fame as a supermodel and then to super stardom as SRK's lover in Om Shanti Om, Deepika has now moved up the ladder in Bollywood playing lover girl in all her films. Love Aaj Kal being the fourth. Life's just kind of perfect at the moment. For someone whose name and visage have been used to sell everything from lingerie, to jewellery to chewing gums, Deepika doesn't seem at all preoccupied with her image. Padukone seems totally comfortable with all her many roles. In some moments, she sounds like a typical plate-spinning working mom, concerned about getting healthy meals on the table for her kids, till you realize that she is still single. A woman who gives a firm 'no-no' to live in relationships is more than willing to settle down and look after her husband once she gets married. Bollywood Hungama's London correspondent and UK's Harrow Observer columnist meets the immortal figure who believes in having three guidelines when it comes to love: Be happy with what you have, keep things simple and go with the flow.

Four films old
"The journey has been wonderful. Everyone's way of acting, everyone's style of acting, everyone's approach, etc. has been wonderful. Two out of my four co-stars are also producers. Saif was very kind and polite. Somewhere the nawab in him came out because of his London education. He is a royal man and deserves everything royal."

Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone Luck factor
"I hope I bring the same luck to Saif Ali Khan as I did to Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om. Love Aaj Kal will go down as one of the most special films for me, irrespective of what the outcome is and what people are going to think."

Compliment from Saif
"It's a huge compliment from Saif if he has compared me to Rani Mukherjee. Something like this is an honour coming from Saif. In fact, I have learnt a lot from him. The fact that he is so experienced and his style is so natural makes you want to work with him again. I really look up to that kind of a performance. I've been a big fan of his right from Dil Chahta Hai."

Co-stars
"I don't feel any age difference. In fact I feel secure with my co-stars who are so experienced. It's great for someone like me who is so new and has absolutely no background from this industry. All my co-stars have been giving and supportive and that in turn has a tremendous role in the way I perform on screen."

On Imtiaz Ali
"Imtiaz Ali is a genius. He is so sensitive to people's performances and people in general. As an actor, I think it's nice to have a director who understands my approach to a scene. Saif and I are so different from each other as actors. It's nice to have a director who can bring that together on screen and get that good performance out of us."

Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone Kareena controversy
"Whenever I was on the sets shooting, I didn't see Kareena anywhere near me. I don't know when she has come and when she has gone. She must've come when I had my days off, I hope. I'm sure she understands that it's not possible for a director to work with the same co-star again and again. It's great that you've had a hit film with a certain director. It's absolutely untrue that there is any sort of discomfort between the two of us or any form of negativity. She knows she is brilliant and she has done a great job in Jab We Met. I guess Imtiaz was damn sure of whom he wanted to cast in Love Aaj Kal."

Reel life to real life
"I'm a perfect blend of Love Aaj and Love Kal. I'm practical in real life though. As an actor when you do a film, two things can happen, either the role you're playing is very different from who you are in real life or it is very similar to the person you are off screen. It's spooky how similar Meera's character is to me in Love Aaj Kal. I think 90% of the film and the way I react in certain situations is the way I'd in real life."

Deepika Padukone, Saif Ali Khan Love yesterday and Love today
"I believe that long distance love lasts. I think different people deal with relationships differently. Their definition may be different but at the end of the day, love exists. Different relationships go through different ups and downs. But when you sit together and have a chat about it, everyone will have the same thing to say. Earlier couples used to take hours writing letters and today it can happen in a few seconds by you sending an SMS to your loved one. Times have changed but the love remains the same, the feeling remains the same. Meetings these days are a lot easier. You can still stay connected with your loved one via a web cam on your computer. Earlier you'd have to travel for miles to see each other."

Live in relationship or getting married
"I am someone who completely believes in falling in love and settling down. I'm not for live in relationships. If I get married, my house and my husband is my number one priority. I tackle my relationship with Ranbir very well. It's not the easiest thing to do but it takes two secure people to deal with things like that. I've been able to do that."

Lip lock moment
"Sometimes when you decide to do something, like a kissing scene in the film, you just do it because you feel its right. I think the scene was necessary for the film and I believed in it. I do not have to take permission from anyone. I've been able to separate my personal life from my professional life and hope to keep it that way for a long time. It's time to get real. Everyone's aware of these kinds of things on screen. Even the kids know about it. So why make such a big fuss?"

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