From a ramp model with a dazzling face that seemed ready to launch a thousand brands to an actress who is the empress of all she surveys in Bollywood, Deepika Padukone has blazed a trail young female artistes can only dream of. With a repertoire of hits in the most auccessful phase of her career, Deepika enjoys not only a fan adulation and a long paparazzi trail but also the ability to hold a female-centric film on her own and excel in portrayal of strong characters. It is the air of confidence about her that sets her apart these days. There was something to the exuberance she brings into her role even as a brand ambassador that lent the scene certain tingle as she walked in to launch a new boutique of the Swiss brand, Tissot in a mall in Chennai. The media army that had trooped in to see her in a shining white and silver attire and hear her was a reflection of her magnetic appeal. But long before she went through the rigmarole of a set piece like media questions at the launch, Deepika had given slots for select media houses. Deccan Chronicle was marked for an exclusive in which she shared some of her thoughts on cinema, her upcoming movies and her fondness for watches. Your upcoming movie Chhapaak is a slight deviation from all the roles you have played so far. What motivated you to take up the role of an acid attack survivor? I have chosen this film because I found the narrative interesting. I found the story compelling. The story of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal required to be told. There was a connection between her grit and determination and human spirit. I have chosen it in the same way as I would have chosen any other film. What role do you play in your next movie 83? I play the role of Romi Dev, wife of Kapil Dev in the movie and she was instrumental in Kapil Dev’s success, especially when he was the captain. She was part of the support system and I feel connected to that. I always feel that in an athlete’s life the wife and family sacrifice a lot of their own dreams to support the vision of the athlete, the goals that they set and they end up sacrificing their own career. I have seen it in my own family. My mother had been supportive to my father in his career. I think to see the human side, to see what an important role family play in success of athlete I took up this role. Since your debut in the movie Om Shanti Om to Padmaavat, how have you evolved as an actor? I would like to believe that I have evolved. Life is about evolution and growing. I have learnt a lot. I have made mistakes along the way. I have learnt from those mistakes. Every day you get to learn something new. Being an actor, everything I have learnt is on film set. I did not have any extensive training in films and everything I have learnt is on the set. So in that way I have evolved. You have worked with several directors. Whom would you consider as the most creative and comfortable to work with? I have a great working relationship with all my directors. I feel I am lucky to have the right script with the right director because I think both play an important part in making of a successful film. I have been very lucky in last couple of years to have good combinations of all those things including co-stars. I have worked with extremely passionate, talented and generous co star. As a Brand Ambassador for several brands why is the Swiss brand Tissot so special for you? I have been Brand Ambassador for Tissot for more than 10 years now. It has been my longest standing brand association. I am excited to be here since they are constantly pushing the boundary as not just technology and innovation but also style and fashion point of view. That’s what keeps the brand growing and evolving. Women especially prefer wearing watches more as an accessory so you need to keep evolving to keep up with the latest trend. I am constantly wearing different kinds of watches. There is always a watch to wear depending on mood, weather and season. That’s what keeps it exciting.

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