The mutual admiration society

The camaraderie between rumoured couple Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh was obvious when they were spotted in Hyderabad on Monday to promote their film ‘Ram-Leela’, a Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial. After launching a textile showroom in Kukatpally, the actors dropped by at an electronics showroom en route to the airport where they spoke about their anticipated drama, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s eternal romance ‘Romeo and Juliet’, among other subjects.

Dressed in a long pleated, white skirt and an overcoat style top, Deepika who was clearly the cynosure of all eyes admitted that it’s a ‘nice feeling’ to be on top. “It’s a state of mind. I came across magazines where they labelled me as numero uno actress. However, it’s very organic. It’s the result of my hard work and passion for the craft. I love what I do and I don’t know what else to do apart from acting. I’m happy that my last four films have fared extremely well at the box-office but I still feel that I have a lot more to achieve,” she says.

She feels great to be back in Hyderabad. “I feel connected with the city. Besides shooting for a handful of ads, I visited the city often when I was a model. The place reminds me of my hometown Bengaluru in many ways. The food, the warmth, the culture and the people are similar to where I come from,” she points out.

The actress who has been experimenting with her roles of late considers herself to be ‘lucky’. “I don’t think I have the power to choose films. Rather films chose me. I’m glad that after ‘Cocktail’, directors gave me author-backed roles. I’ve never been more confident of my work than now. And at the same time, it is about being fearless in what you do. In ‘Ram-Leela’, I play a challenging role. It has drained me physically, mentally and emotionally. Working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali is like working for five films,” she recalls.

On her working experience with Ranveer, she says that he is the ‘best actor in the industry currently’. “His versatility is obvious in the four films he has done till now. He is an actor who can give his life to films and I’ve never come across a person who is as passionate about films as he is. He is so simple and the impression that he leaves on people will work for him in the long run,” she shares.

Speaking about her forthcoming motion-capture film ‘Kochadaiyaan’ with Superstar Rajinikanth in the lead role, she believes that the film will be a ‘game changer’. “It is being made in many languages- Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, English and Japanese. I think we should be extremely proud of the film. When we’ve seen films like ‘Avatar’ and ‘Tin Tin’ being made on performance-motion capture technology, we’ve thronged theatres. Here is an Indian Superstar who is experimenting with the same technology. I think it is the future.

Having done a Kannada film and a Tamil film, when is she going to take a plunge into Tollywood? “I haven’t been offered any Telugu films till now. If I do get something interesting I will definitely consider it. I see Venkatesh has a release now. I know Rana too,” she smiles.

Ranveer was quick to bounce back when Deepika tagged him as the best actor. “Coming from a best actress, I’m speechless. I have the highest regard for her as an actor and I bet you that she will take everyone by surprise with her performance in ‘Ram-Leela’. When we were shooting for Ishqyaaun Dhishkiyaun number, I was coming up with these weird expressions.

But what struck me was she was equal to the task and matched me with her expressions,” he smiles. About his transformation as an actor from ‘Lootera’ to ‘Ram-Leela’, he says, “Both are intense love stories, but the characters are poles apart. If I was the reserved and brooding guy in ‘Lootera’, I’m a rustic, extrovert in ‘Ram-Leela’. Both the roles demanded a lot from me and I gave everything I had.”

Ranveer also feels that it’s a bit irritating that his personal life has taken precedence at most occasions. “It’ doesn’t constitute the essence of what I do. I hope things take a turn after a Friday,” insists the actor who looked dapper in a blue suit and blue pants.

What’s the secret of his infectious energy? “I guess it comes from my zeal for life. I just want to make everyday count and I believe in living life to the fullest.”