Deepika made her debut in Om Shanti Om in 2007 opposite Shah Rukh Khan. (Image: IANS)
Mumbai:
She may have made her Bollywooddebut with superstar Shah Rukh Khan and worked with biggieslike Amitabh Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan but actress DeepikaPadukone feels that she is still not a star.
"I don't think I am a star, I consider myself like anyother girl who is of my age. Others may be working in officeand doing different jobs. Similarly I don't think I am doingsomething different.. I am also working. For me it is like Iam doing something that I love and enjoy just like others do.I don't see anything different," Deepika said in an interviewhere.
From her debut film Om Shanti Om in 2007 to herupcoming release Race 2, Deepika's journey has been eventfulhaving worked with the likes of Prakash Jha and Imtiaz Ali.
"It has been learning experience. Every film teachesyou something, every experience on every film set with everyco-star teaches you something. You learn something new. Ithink the challenge is to keep working harder and doingbetter. I am enjoying my work," she said.
"I feel today I have become a lot more comfortable. Ithink hard work and always trying to better myself issomething that is an on-going process," she added.
The 27-year-old feels one can achieve anything purelyon basis of hard work.
"I don't think you need any kind of backing here inthe industry. I think what you achieve in your life is theresult of your own talent and hard work. I think I have beenlucky and fortunate enough to work with good people startingwith SRK and Farah Khan who gave me an amazing launch," shesaid.
"I am thankful to all the directors as they have shownfaith in my craft. So I don't think backing has anything to dowith it," she said.
"The backing from my family, the support has been mystrength, the fact that they never questioned me about mycareer, they never put any pressure, they never stopped mefrom moving to Mumbai, at every level they have supported me,"she added.
Deepika would be seen in the Abbas-Mustanaction-thriller where for the first time she is playing a greycharacter.
"This is the first time I am playing a grey characterof a seductress who misuses her beauty and intelligence to getwhat she wants. I don't identify with this role as I am notthis kind of a girl. But this isn't a negative character, sheisn't a bad girl but her ways to get things done are bad," shesaid.
"In real life I am not grey, negative, my character islike that. I think the challenge in doing these kinds of rolesis that people should love you in the end after watching thefilm. I think that is the biggest challenge."
The film is a sequel to 2008 hit film Race. It hasan ensemble star cast including Anil Kapoor and Saif Ali Khanreprising their roles while Deepika, John Abraham, JacquelineFernandez and Ameesha Patel are the new additions to the cast."Race 2 just like Race is very similar. It's verytrue to Abbas Mustan's style of filmmaking with lots of twistsand turns right till the end... You don't know what to expect.All the characters in the film have grey shades. Everyone hasan agenda or wants to take advantage of the other," Deepikasaid.
The dimpled lass is happy that she got to work in astylised action-thriller.
"This genre of action thriller is forte of Abbas-Mustan.I haven't done a film in this genre. When they are directingyou as an actor they expect a stylised performance fromactors. Everything is in hushed tones, very intense, not toomuch movement and dialogues and I haven't done that earlierand it was great doing it," Deepika said.
The film is set to release on January 25.
"I don't think I am a star, I consider myself like anyother girl who is of my age. Others may be working in officeand doing different jobs. Similarly I don't think I am doingsomething different.. I am also working. For me it is like Iam doing something that I love and enjoy just like others do.I don't see anything different," Deepika said in an interviewhere.
From her debut film Om Shanti Om in 2007 to herupcoming release Race 2, Deepika's journey has been eventfulhaving worked with the likes of Prakash Jha and Imtiaz Ali.
"It has been learning experience. Every film teachesyou something, every experience on every film set with everyco-star teaches you something. You learn something new. Ithink the challenge is to keep working harder and doingbetter. I am enjoying my work," she said.
"I feel today I have become a lot more comfortable. Ithink hard work and always trying to better myself issomething that is an on-going process," she added.
The 27-year-old feels one can achieve anything purelyon basis of hard work.
"I don't think you need any kind of backing here inthe industry. I think what you achieve in your life is theresult of your own talent and hard work. I think I have beenlucky and fortunate enough to work with good people startingwith SRK and Farah Khan who gave me an amazing launch," shesaid.
"I am thankful to all the directors as they have shownfaith in my craft. So I don't think backing has anything to dowith it," she said.
"The backing from my family, the support has been mystrength, the fact that they never questioned me about mycareer, they never put any pressure, they never stopped mefrom moving to Mumbai, at every level they have supported me,"she added.
Deepika would be seen in the Abbas-Mustanaction-thriller where for the first time she is playing a greycharacter.
"This is the first time I am playing a grey characterof a seductress who misuses her beauty and intelligence to getwhat she wants. I don't identify with this role as I am notthis kind of a girl. But this isn't a negative character, sheisn't a bad girl but her ways to get things done are bad," shesaid.
"In real life I am not grey, negative, my character islike that. I think the challenge in doing these kinds of rolesis that people should love you in the end after watching thefilm. I think that is the biggest challenge."
The film is a sequel to 2008 hit film Race. It hasan ensemble star cast including Anil Kapoor and Saif Ali Khanreprising their roles while Deepika, John Abraham, JacquelineFernandez and Ameesha Patel are the new additions to the cast."Race 2 just like Race is very similar. It's verytrue to Abbas Mustan's style of filmmaking with lots of twistsand turns right till the end... You don't know what to expect.All the characters in the film have grey shades. Everyone hasan agenda or wants to take advantage of the other," Deepikasaid.
The dimpled lass is happy that she got to work in astylised action-thriller.
"This genre of action thriller is forte of Abbas-Mustan.I haven't done a film in this genre. When they are directingyou as an actor they expect a stylised performance fromactors. Everything is in hushed tones, very intense, not toomuch movement and dialogues and I haven't done that earlierand it was great doing it," Deepika said.
The film is set to release on January 25.
