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WASN’T HER TYPE... BUT THEN, HE WAS
Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, on when their eyes first met
All secrecy around their relationship is history. Though they still sidestepped questions about a November wedding — asked on Friday, during the 16th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit (HTLS) — that happy life event now doesn’t seem too far for actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh.
Affectionate and funny with each other, the Bollywood couple — and co-stars in this year’s blockbuster film Padmaavat — filled their session with energy, laughter, and pure star power. It was a remarkable evening, since this was the first appearance of Ranveer and Deepika as a couple on a public platform.
“So, when is the wedding?” That was the most obvious question — avid speculation has put the date in November. Ranveer quipped in reply, “When, where, you’re reading every day. The colour of my sherwani, the itinerary of my wedding, the guest list... is all decided. Our very enthusiastic friends in the media are not holding back...” Giggling a little, Deepika referred to the number of times wedding rumours have surfaced.
Now that their couple status is official, Deepika opened up about her first impression of Ranveer. She had made her Bollywood debut in 2007 with Om Shanti Om; he in 2010 with Band Baajaa Baraat. So she had hit stardom a couple of years before him. “I actually remember having this conversation with my then agent, who was a big fan of [Ranveer’s] work, having seen the promos and trailer,” said Deepika. “He said, ‘That boy Ranveer Singh, he’s going to be a huge star.’ And I said, ‘Really? I’m not so sure. He is not my type.’”
But she was to soon change her mind. Deepika told the HTLS session about that time: “After a couple of days, I watched his film. And then one day, I was at a restaurant when Ranveer was there with his family. And I met him and said, ‘Wow, you’ve moved to Bombay.’ I said this without realising that he’s a Bombay boy and his acting in his first film was so convincing as a Delhi boy. It’s one of my favourite films of his.”
When it was Ranveer’s turn to talk about that first meeting, he said, “My takeaway from that evening was that ‘How can anybody look like that!’”
Ranveer’s compliments for Deepika flowed at the session; he wouldn’t change a thing about her, he said.
On a serious note — because Bollywood has been rocked by a sexual harassment case — they were asked about the #MeToo movement. Both actors stated that it’s beyond gender, and Deepika added that it’s about “the victory of right over wrong”.