Deepika Padukone’s Goliyon ki Raasleela Ram-Leela released today and could be another hit in Dippy’s kitty. She might have had her share of bad films and a rough phase in Bollywood, like so many others, but the actor has emerged a clear winner today. It hasn’t exactly been a cakewalk for this babe though; Deepika has transformed herself and her acting…and how!Ms Padukone had a dream launch as Shahrukh Khan’s heroine in Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om, but became more popular for her link-ups and break ups than for her movies. From Nihar Pandya to cricketer Yuvraj Singh, from Ranbir Kapoor to Kingfisher scion Siddharth Mallya, Ms P has often been in the limelight for her love life rather than her acting prowess. The RK tattoo on her neck made more news that her hits at the box-office, remember?
Her break up with then-boyfriend Ranbir (now her rival Katrina Kaif’s beau) became national news and Deepika was upset enough to declare Ranboo was the perfect condom brand ambassador while she chatted with host Karan Johar on Koffee With Karan. Deepika even made statements in the media that she had caught RK cheating, red-handed, but didn’t reveal with who. And fingers were pointed at Ranbir’s Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani co-star, Katrina. Critics predicted a short career for the model turned actor. And they seemed to be right, considering her choice of films and her bland performances. How did Deepika then make it back into the race for the No.1 position as a serious contender?
Deepika’s Cocktail recipe: She didn’t play the quintessential Bollywood heroine or even a Goody Two-shoes in Homi Adjania’s Cocktail, and yet she managed to be the real hero of this film. Did she follow in her mentor SRK’s footsteps to play the marred ‘hero’, as he did in Baazigar and Darr? Whatever she did do, it worked for the hot babe. What followed was a streak of success in hit films like Race 2, Desi Boyz, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Chennai Express. That clearly put on the back burner her flops – Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, Lafangey Parindey , Aarakshan and more. With Ram-Leela (as it was called originally) we hope Dips manages a hattrick this year with her fifth hit film in a row. That would definitely put her on top of the game, na?
The ex-factor: Ranbir Kapoor may be her ex-boyfriend and the two may not have parted ways on a good note, especially after all the bad-mouthing on Karan’s popular talk show. But Deepika surprised many when she declared that she was excited to work with RK Jr. Dippy certainly scored high on professionalism and was perhaps one of the few actors to work with a former lover without letting emotional history get in the way. Now others like Kareena are walking this path.
Style Diva: Sonam Kapoor might be the ultimate fashionista, she’s experimental and intelligent about her wardrobe choices. But Sonam has tough competition – whether it’s shorts or lehengas, sarees or backless frocks, polka dots or animal prints, Dippy can pull off almost anything. Her appearances on both red carpets and at airports have always managed to be standouts. We like the way DP strikes a balance between the six-yard and the LBD.
The Khan connection: She is Shahrukh Khan’s lucky mascot; the two have chemistry and that shows in their track record – OSO, Chennai Express and soon Happy New Year. There is a rumour that there will be another film with the two actors playing lead roles – will this be the Yash Raj Films project with Aditya Chopra that SRK has mentioned? We wait to find out. And there are other Khans lined up – Deepika has said that her first Bollywood offer came from Salman Khan; it has just been confirmed that she will be Salman’s heroine in Bade Bhaiyya, the recently announced Sooraj Barjatya film. While she doesn’t have any projects with Dhoom:3 baddie Aamir Khan yet, we all know about Saif Ali Khan’s fondness for his Love Aaj Kal heroine – that reportedly even made wifey Kareena Kapoor Khan insecure!
No Kat fights: While Deepika and Katrina may not see eye-to-eye for various reasons, DP is one of the few heroines who bonds well with her rivals. We all saw her camaraderie with Sonam Kapoor on Karan’s talk show a few years ago! Deepika was also seen being buddies with Exotic babe Priyanka Chopra. And PeeCee’s special song in her new film didn’t bother this Leela one bit; instead, she was all praise for Ms Chopra. Dips certainly knows to keep her friends close and her competition closer, doesn’t she!
