RETAKES DON’T COUNT, SAYS DEEPIKA PADUKONE
Sanjay Leela Bhansali may have a reputation for being a tough taskmaster on the sets, but Deepika Padukone believes she has developed a shorthand with the director after collaborating with him on three films. Deepika, who plays the titular character in Bhansali’s Padmavati, said she would initially rehearse a lot before shooting a particular scene, but her performance has become more instinctive now. “With Sanjay Leela Bhansali, you don’t count the number of takes, you just go with the flow. You have to switch off from things like your heavy headgear, costume or how uncomfortable the duppata is on your head. When the camera is on, it is all about what I am doing and the energy. After the shoot, you realise (there are) injuries,” Deepika said.
Deepika reportedly wore a heavy lehnga while doing the dance number Ghoomar. The actor said there was more trust as an actor-director between them and that had helped her a lot. “When I did the first film (Ram Leela), I felt I have to rehearse, be prepared as an actor on the sets. I have to know exactly what I have to do and deliver exactly in the way he (Bhansali) wants. But halfway through Bajirao Mastani, I realised that I have to trust him and go with the flow.”
Deepika said Padmavati was the first film in a while to have made her feel nervous about her performance. “I feel there is something about this one, it is not from the heart or mind, it is from the gut. It is coming from a completely different place. It has been an extremely emotional journey for us, especially after the trailer launch.”
Deepika’s look, especially the unibrow, has been a point of discussion on the social media as much as her heavy jewellery and costumes but the actor said she had no qualms in experimenting with her appearance. “As women, we have been conditioned to think in a certain way (in terms of beauty). I am glad with what we did (unibrow look) with Padmavati and my look. It takes immense amount of belief for all of us to take that risk in a sense because that is not how the audience is conditioned. Some of them have picked up the unibrow and the skin tone... but the beauty is so much more. For me, she is hugely inspiring.”
The actress brushed away the matter of her remuneration for the movie, which is reportedly more than co-stars Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, saying she was “comfortable” with what she got. “Talking about my remuneration is not exciting for me. I am confident and comfortable with what I am paid. But let me tell you something and this is something I am really proud of is the fact that people like them (co-producer Viacom and director Bhansali) have invested this kind of money on a film like this and poster like this... that for me is hugely encouraging... this is the biggest film that Indian cinema has seen not in just terms of scale but in terms of budget and resources, and what is the poster behind it? For me that is the turning point for Indian cinema,” she added.
You just go with the flow, says Deepika Padukone about working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali