Coincidentally, in Deepika’s debut film Om Shanti Om, she played a character that had been inspired by Hema Malini, the reigning superstar of the Seventies. At the recent unveiling of Hema’s biography, Deepika sported Hema’s sari-clad, heavy-jewellery look, perhaps as a compliment to the eternal Dream Girl. The two divulged surprisingly similar details about their lives, as Deepika shared…

Incomplete Education
“The intention is to do good work, the endeavour is to work with good, challenging directors. Somewhere down the line success happens and we are given the tags we are given. I haven’t gone to college; I finished my 11^th and 12^th, just barely passed. I was a successful model, travelling for work. I tried one year of degree, I tried Distance Education, but I just couldn’t do it. So, I am just 12^th pass. My parents wanted me to start working after getting a degree. It is the conservative way of saying you need something to fall back on but they realised my passion. Overnight I developed wings to fly… My parents believed in my vision, they let me chase my dreams. While some relationships have become stronger, some friends have distanced themselves… they couldn’t handle the success I tasted, and they disconnected.”

Handling Rejection
“It is very hard when you are rejected, it’s very difficult. Most people see the glamour, the success, all the good things that we get. There is a reason why all this happens but there is a lot of hard-work, there is immense sacrifice to lead a disciplined life... For me, the biggest sacrifice has been living away from family. …When you get written off, it depends from individual to individual what they make of the obstacles but we both turned it into a positive thing. I was written off as well... It’s about how you enhance your strengths and emerge stronger than ever before.”

The Bhansali Factor
“I feel fortunate to have worked with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Five years and three films in extremely challenging and empowering roles that he has known to give women… Padmavati was an extremely exhausting experience. I did it for one year, we worked for almost 6 to 8 months at a stretch… and certain characters don’t leave your soul.”

Love Actually
“Romantic relations are complicated. It is difficult to find someone who understands your success, your passion and that you earn more money than them... So, it is a difficult place to be.”