Deepika made her debut in Om Shanti Om in 2007 opposite Shah Rukh Khan. (Image: IANS)
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She may have made her Bollywood debut with superstar Shah Rukh Khan and worked with biggies like Amitabh Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan but actress Deepika Padukone feels that she is still not a star.
"I don't think I am a star, I consider myself like any other girl who is of my age. Others may be working in office and doing different jobs. Similarly I don't think I am doing something different.. I am also working. For me it is like I am doing something that I love and enjoy just like others do. I don't see anything different," Deepika said in an interview here.
From her debut film Om Shanti Om in 2007 to her upcoming release Race 2, Deepika's journey has been eventful having worked with the likes of Prakash Jha and Imtiaz Ali.
"It has been learning experience. Every film teaches you something, every experience on every film set with every co-star teaches you something. You learn something new. I think the challenge is to keep working harder and doing better. I am enjoying my work," she said.
"I feel today I have become a lot more comfortable. I think hard work and always trying to better myself is something that is an on-going process," she added.
The 27-year-old feels one can achieve anything purely on basis of hard work.
"I don't think you need any kind of backing here in the industry. I think what you achieve in your life is the result of your own talent and hard work. I think I have been lucky and fortunate enough to work with good people starting with SRK and Farah Khan who gave me an amazing launch," she said.
"I am thankful to all the directors as they have shown faith in my craft. So I don't think backing has anything to do with it," she said.
"The backing from my family, the support has been my strength, the fact that they never questioned me about my career, they never put any pressure, they never stopped me from moving to Mumbai, at every level they have supported me," she added.
Deepika would be seen in the Abbas-Mustan action-thriller where for the first time she is playing a grey character.
"This is the first time I am playing a grey character of a seductress who misuses her beauty and intelligence to get what she wants. I don't identify with this role as I am not this kind of a girl. But this isn't a negative character, she isn't a bad girl but her ways to get things done are bad," she said.
"In real life I am not grey, negative, my character is like that. I think the challenge in doing these kinds of roles is that people should love you in the end after watching the film. I think that is the biggest challenge."
The film is a sequel to 2008 hit film Race. It has an ensemble star cast including Anil Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan reprising their roles while Deepika, John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez and Ameesha Patel are the new additions to the cast. "Race 2 just like Race is very similar. It's very true to Abbas Mustan's style of filmmaking with lots of twists and turns right till the end... You don't know what to expect. All the characters in the film have grey shades. Everyone has an agenda or wants to take advantage of the other," Deepika said.
The dimpled lass is happy that she got to work in a stylised action-thriller.
"This genre of action thriller is forte of Abbas-Mustan. I haven't done a film in this genre. When they are directing you as an actor they expect a stylised performance from actors. Everything is in hushed tones, very intense, not too much movement and dialogues and I haven't done that earlier and 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.
