Star power: Bollywood’s force to reckon with

Deepika Padukone wants her roles to live on for years

NEW DELHI: Deepika Padukone, who will soon make her Hollywood debut with xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, recently shared that she wants her characters to have the potential to live on for years.

The B-town diva stole hearts with her debut film Om Shanti Om and later went on to do path-breaking roles in films like Cocktail, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Piku.

She said that she tries to spread smiles through her films but added that it’s not necessary for all the films to have a happy ending. “Hopefully, you get the opportunity to be a part of films that have iconic characters so, one can’t always guarantee what the end is going to be like,” she shared. “I think the end of a film obviously always depends on the story and the situation. But yes, somewhere you try and do meaningful films, you try and do films that have a positive impact on society or at least have that feel-good factor. But it is difficult to generalise and say that every film will have a happy ending. I think the intention of choosing films at the end of the day, of course, and obviously is to be able to entertain the audience, but at the same time be able to stir some emotions within them and hopefully leave behind films and characters that people will remember for a lifetime,” she added.



She made her foray into Bollywood in 2007 but much before that, she was a successful model and had endless endorsement deals to her credit. The actor won awards for many of her roles too. She, however, shared that her journey in the industry was not an easy one. “I think it has been a very, very exciting journey,” she recalled. “I have been able to live my passion and my dream. It has definitely not been an easy journey and there have been a lot of ups and downs professionally and personally. But, like I always say, every experience teaches you something. Every film, every human interaction, everything in life teaches you something. I feel extremely fortunate to be in a business that has the ability to impact people’s lives in such a strong way.”

Earlier this year, the star also opened up on her struggle with depression and has since actively participated in a number of campaigns aiming to promote mental well-being. “I have always believed that everything in life is how you take it or your perspective of a certain situation,” she said. “I have always been someone who tries to not let negative things influence you in a bad way; but at the same time it is also about how you use these bad times to make you a better person. If you really reflect on the situation, there is an opportunity to learn in every experience, which will eventually help you become a better person.”

She may be one of Bollywood’s biggest success stories, but Deepika never forgets the people who helped her reach the level of stardom she enjoys today. “I would credit this success to a lot of people and also to myself. And I say that because whatever I have achieved has not fallen in my lap. It is something that I have worked extremely hard towards. It requires a lot of focus and dedication, a lot of commitment, a lot of sacrifices, so I value every bit of it. And, yes, it would not have been possible without the amazing support of my family and my team.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2016.

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