Deepika Padukone the ‘centre of attraction’ in her film posters
She may not have played the solo lead in her last few releases, but that has not deterred filmmakers from featuring Deepika Padukone prominently on the posters of their films. What’s more, the posters have the actress right in the centre when it comes to placing the stars. Interestingly the two recent films, with posters like that, did good business at the box-office. This has triggered a buzz in the industry that placing the actress’ photo in the centre may actually be lucky for the films.
An insider points out that though Race 2 had an ensemble cast, one of the most widely distributed posters of the film featured Saif Ali Khan and John Abraham with Deepika alone in the centre. Earlier too, posters of Cocktail had Deepika feature between Saif and Diana Penty. “Bollywood’s a very superstitious industry, especially when it comes to lucky mascots. And when one thing works, then it’s not surprising to see others follow it. Not that the filmmakers bank on it completely, but doing something, that can perhaps add a dash of luck, is nothing new. So, it won’t be surprising to see if many more films starring Deepika follow it too,” say industry observers.
The actress, however, waves it off. “What can I say,” says Deepika when asked about her lucky run at the BO. “As an actor, you just do your best. Beyond the hard work, nothing is in your control. There are so many other factors involved. So, it would be unfair for me to take the credit,” she says. So how important is success to her? “It is important to me as an actor, because success translates into more choices of the kind of films being offered. And who wouldn’t want to be in a position to be able to choose? We always have a choice, but success ensures more choices,” Deepika elaborates.
While she is currently shooting for Ayan Mukherjee’s Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani in Kashmir, her look in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ram Leela is getting much appreciation. “I had sported an Indian look in Om Shanti Om too, but yes, the Ram Leela avatar is a completely different one for me,” she adds.
Talking about the bikini-clad avatar in Cocktail to a lungi-shirt one in Chennai Express and now her lehenga-choli avatar, Deepika says that she is not consciously trying to be different each time. “The idea is just to be true to what my character in that film calls for. I am not the kind to plan things or chart career graphs for myself. So, these roles just happen to be different and it’s just a coincidence that all my upcoming films are very diverse from each other. As for what I am most comfortable in? Well, I am comfortable in all good roles,” she laughs.
DNA; February 1, 2013