Deepika Padukone: Enjoying The Little Leisure And The Little Pleasures

After a victorious 2015, Deepika Padukone ​is enjoying the little leisure and the little pleasures coming her way.

- Suman Sharma

Deepika Padukone is on cloud nine these days after winning the Black Lady for her oh- so- real performance in Piku. She confides that initially people were wary why she’d chosen such an offbeat film. “They thought Shoojit Sircar, Irrfan Khan and myself formed a weird combination,” she laughs. “But I had faith in the content of the film and in the honesty of our intention. And everything else followed. If, as artistes, there’s earnestness in you, the audience senses it because it comes through in your performance.”

The same is true for Bajirao Mastani, where she trusted her instincts as much as she trusted her director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. She went with the spirit of the real-life warrior princess and breathed life into her character as Mastani. “Mastani had so many facets. She had a strong willpower; she was determined and focused. And at the same time, she was vulnerable, romantic and beautiful. It was a challenge to blend all these traits and bring her alive on film.” She adds, “When I read about Mastani, I realised that there’s a Mastani in every woman. In some she is more pronounced. Even everyday situations call upon us to be confident and confrontational.”