There are two things that you notice instantly when you see Deepika Padukone. One is that she is pencil-thin; and, two, she has a love-bite on her neck that is still to fade away.
The actress who has returned to badminton and yoga with a vengeance, has lost five kilos. And, as she stands before you in a short green dress, she looks dishy. “Dishy is such a sexy word,’’ she smiles, her brown eyes lighting up like beacons on a cloudy monsoon day.
The actress has just wrapped up a rom-com with Saif Ali Khan, 39, and is actually packing her suitcases again for a 50-day schedule of Sajid Nadiadwala’s Houseful in London. “This will be my first full-on comedy film,’’ she says. “And I’m a bit excited and nervous.’’
Her co-star is Akshay Kumar, 42, and when you ask Deepika why she chooses men almost double her age to team up with, the 23-year-old says, “I don’t sign a film looking at the hero’s age.’’ She adds, “The script of a film has to turn me on. There are films that I have rejected that other actresses have accepted and vice versa.’’
Factors like money, too, don’t count for this gorgeous girl who is in a happy place in her career, simply because she’s not avaricious. Deepika who saw Kuch Kuch Hota Hai when she was in Class 6, still says bagging Om Shanti Om with Shah Rukh Khan, 44, remains one of the best moments in her life.
And, though there are legions of fans who wish to see her team up with her real-life sweetheart Ranbir Kapoor, the actress says there is no project on the anvil with the two of them.
Currently, if there is one dark cloud that she is worried about, it’s the fact that she will have to spend 50 days away from Mumbai. “I get homesick when I’m away for long spells,’’ says the leggy lass. We’re guessing she misses two staple things in her life when she’s away — Ranbir and her favourite South Indian dish, rasam. Ummm...
Deepika Padukone was in Lima, Peru, recently for a fashion magazine shoot. This was clubbed by a special invitation that she received from Mercedes Araoz Fernandez, the minister of commerce and tourism. "They wanted me to be a guest at the Peruvian Fashion Week. Though I was there for only a-day-and-a-half, it was truly a pleasant experience as I got to do a lot of things," she says. And that includes visiting the President's palace. "I hear no one's allowed inside but we managed to get special permission. It was an awesome experience," Deepika says. "Peru is very similar to India in terms of food and culture. They eat a lot of spicy food too and their art is mostly of beadwork and embroidery."
Deepika Padukone with Vijay Malya
If one were to run a poll on the most popular Swiss watch brands in India, four brands will certainly rank right on top. They are Rolex, Omega, Tissot and Rado. On anecdotal evidence of the ranking of popularity, one might consider Omega, Rolex, Tissot and Rado in that order.
However if one has to define the brand salience by sheer sales volume; clearly Tissot is the largest selling Swiss watch brand in India. No doubt, Tissot's pricing starting at Rs 10,000 or so for a basic model being just above Titan's top end models helps.
Kareena Kapoor, deepika padukone, kangana ranaut, katrina kaif, sonam kapor, mallika shrawat, priyanka chopra.
