Taking The Plunge

Deepika Padukone has had a whirlwind 2018. She kicked things off with a raging controversy around Padmaavat, a Time 100 name-check, followed by red carpet appearances at the Met Gala and Cannes – and ended the year with an intimate wedding in Lake Como to Ranveer Singh. GQ gets a peek into the mind of the woman making headlines.

- Shikha Sethi

It’s a sign of the times we live in that when I pick up the phone to call Deepika Padukone, I’ve been able to track her movements on social media, almost in real time. I know she and Ranveer Singh have landed in Mumbai earlier this evening – their airport looks, “twinning” in Sabyasachi, are all over Instagram. Bollywood pap Viral Bhayani’s disgruntled comments on Insta – there wasn’t a single photo to be had from the Lake Como wedding – have given way to frenzied posting from the couple’s Bengaluru reception the night before.

I expect her to sound knackered but instead, Padukone is bright and full of good humour, despite an intense travel schedule and having likely been on her feet beaming beatifically through the duration of the previous night’s festivities. “Several of my parents’ friends said that they were surprised we greeted every single guest,” she says. “They thought we’d make a ten minute appearance and leave. Apparently, other celebs have done that – but that’s not how he and I would ever do it.” With Padukone and Singh in the mix, you can always expect the unexpected.

What a month, Deepika! You looked stunning in Sabyasachi, and you’re slaying GQ’s December cover.

I’m aware of culture, tradition, all that… I also understand what it means to be my own person. Of course, it’s exciting to take your relationship to the next level, but at no point as a woman should you forget your sense of individuality. It’s important to remain authentic and stay true to who you are. The idea is not to lose yourself in the process [of marriage].

Ranveer is a great portrait of individualism on any given day.