I am like Lafangey Parindey’s heroine: Deepika

Lead actors playing visually challenged characters is not new for Bollywood, but for Deepika Padukone it was a first. She describes it as her toughest role yet but also says she is exactly like the heroine - a woman who is self-confident, ambitious and never gives up.

“For me, this role was the most challenging out of all the films that I have done. It has not been easy. It required a lot of focus and concentration. I had to observe a lot of blind people before I could play this role,” Padukone, 24, said.

“I think I identify with the character Pinky a lot because Pinky is someone who is extremely self-assured. She is extremely confident and knows exactly what she wants. She is ambitious and she never gives up, which is exactly how I am,” she said.

Director Pradeep Sarkar has teamed up with Padukone, Neil Nitin Mukesh and a bunch of other actors to narrate the story of a group of youngsters living in Mumbai. Releasing on August 20, it will see Mukesh playing a boxer who fights while blindfolded, while Padukone will be seen as a visually challenged girl who can dance on skates.

“The biggest challenge was to pretend that I was not seeing. There were no supporting tools like black goggles or a stick with me to make it obvious that I am blind,” said the actor.

Padukone and other cast and crew members spent time with visually challenged people to understand their behavioural nuances.

“It took around six months of reading and interacting. I had to get used to a lot of physical movements. It’s like feeling things around you without actually being able to see them.

“We didn’t visit any school for the blind, but we met a lot of blind people. It was not just for me but also very important for Mukesh and the group of friends I am interacting with in the film. So I think it was a group process for all of us,” she said.

Padukone says she didn’t find it nerve-wracking to do the implausible stunts.

“As I have been an athlete and a sportsperson before, I think it just makes it much easier and interesting for me.

I think to be able to do stunts, you need to be physically fit. It needs a lot of dedication. It needs a lot of control on the kind of food you are eating. So it required a lot of discipline,” said Padukone who trained in adventure sports during the filming.

“The skating is something I had to learn for the film, but the scuba diving and sky diving is something I have done for myself. It’s always nice to challenge your limits. I always thought that I was scared of heights until I jumped off a plane. Today when I fly in a plane and look outside, it doesn’t feel like anything,” said Padukone.

After Lafangey Parindey, Padukone has two films - Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey and Break Ke Baad - scheduled for release this year.

The actor doesn’t get bogged down by work pressure; not does she get jittery by audience expectations.

“I don’t consider it as work pressure, as I enjoy doing it. But I feel very relaxed when I spend my time alone at home after I pack up every day or I speak to my parents and spend time with them.

“I don’t expect people to expect anything. I know I have given it my best,” said Padukone.

Published in the  Express Tribune, July 23rd, 2010.