WHAT'S NEXT FOR DEEPIKA PADUKONE?

There’s no doubt that Deepika Padukone is the reigning queen of Bollywood. With massively successful films like Race 2, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Chennai Express and Goliyon Ki Raas Leela Ram Leela all releasing the same year, this leggy lass managed to kick all of her competitors out of the race. An ecstatic Deepika had mentioned that the only thing she feels bad about is that all of her big films released in the same year itself. But Deep’s fans need not fear, Miss Padukone has a number of promising films lined up for us this year too.
First up for Deepika should be Homi Adajania’s film, Finding Fanny Fernandes. Starring Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh and set in Goa, Finding Fanny Fernandes is a hilarious and heartwarming bilingual film about a man’s search for his childhood love, Stefanie (Fanny) Fernandes, and how a group of dysfunctional characters go on a road trip with him to find her. The journey, riddled with a funny chain of events and life changing moments that impact everyone involved, forms the crux of the film. Deepika has already finished shooting for the film which is slated to release on the 4th of July, 2014.


We recently heard that Shoojit Sircar’s next film, titled Piku, will have Amitabh Bachchan playing the role of Deepika’s father. The film will have an unusual take on the father-daughter relationship and will feature Irrfan Khan in a special role too. Deep’s may start shooting for Piku in July so it may be unlikely that we’ll get to see the film before 2015.
But before the year is out, we will definitely see Deepika in Farah Khan’s Happy New Year. First slated as a December release, the film has apparently been pre-poned to the Diwali season. StarringShahrukh, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Sonu Sood, Boman Irani and Vivaan Shah,Happy New Year has been described as a 'musical heist film', a unique genre which probably only a director like Farah Khan can pull off.


And how can we forget Rajinikanth’s Kochadaiiyaan. The animated film which makes use of motion-capture too stars Rajinikanth and Deepika Padukone in the lead. Deepika’s fans will get to see her in a gorgeous animated avatar for the first time in Kochadaiiyaan which is set to release in the summer of 2014.
Only time will tell if 2014 manages to be just as good as 2013 for Deepika Padukone, but for now this babe can do no wrong.

Deepika Padukone at launch of Harper's Bazaar India March 2014 cover

Bollywod celebrities wish Deepika Padukone on birthday!

[ Updated 10 Jan 2014, 18:52:27 ]

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Mumbai: Actress Deepika Padukone got her name written in history after giving four back-to-back hits like "Chennai Express" and "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani" in 2013. And on her 28th birthday Sunday, Bollywood celebrities wished she keeps ruling the film industry.

Celebrities like Karan Johar, Sonu Sood, Farah Khan and Priyanka Chopra took to Twitter to wish her.

Karan Johar: Happy Birthday Deepika Padukone. More power to you! Have another spectacular year! Loads of love.

Sonu Sood: Happy birthday Deepika Padukone. Keep ruling always. Stay blessed. And don't forget to bring your cake on the sets.

Farah Khan: Happy birthday Deepika Padukone. Stay blessed! Love you lots.

Priyanka Chopra: Happy birthday Deepika Padukone! Lovely to have known an amazing friend like you. Have a super year babe! Love always.

Manish Malhotra: Happy birthday gorgeous Deepika Padukone. Have a super year.

Boman Irani: Happy birthday Deepika Padukone, may you stay blessed. Have a super year.

Nargis Fakhri: Deepika Padukone happy birthday beautiful lady. May god bless you always.

Uday Chopra: Happy birthday Deepika Padukone. Lots of love. Have a great one!

Bipasha Basu: Happy birthday Deepika Padukone! Shine on. Love!

Riteish Deshmukh: Happy birthday Deepika Padukone - have a fantastic day ahead - big hug.

Huma Qureshi: Happy birthday Deepika Padukone. Much love, luck, joy and success.

Prolific Padukone rises to top of Bollywood A-list

Dec 28, 2013 - 10:07

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• In this photograph taken on December 21, 2013, Indian Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone poses as she arrives to attend a party she hosted in Mumbai. AFP PHOTO

MUMBAI, Dec 28, 2013 (AFP) - If any Bollywood star can claim 2013 as their year, it is Deepika Padukone. With four hit films, the former model has risen to the top of the A-list -- and now has Hollywood in her sights.

But she isn't putting her giddy fame down to luck.

"I did work at an abnormal pace, juggling three films at a time, and I think the payback has been worth it," the elegant 27-year-old told AFP in an interview in her adopted hometown Mumbai, the entertainment capital.

Padukone has catapulted to Bollywood's big league after just six years in the movie industry, but her entry into films was hardly conventional.

In an industry known for blatant nepotism and dominant acting dynasties, she has carved out a career despite being neither of showbiz parentage nor from Mumbai.

Born in Copenhagen, she grew up in Bangalore, inheriting athletic genes from her father Prakash, a badminton world champion.

She was a state-level basketball, badminton and baseball player before becoming a model, and her experience and visibility in that job landed her film offers when she was as young as 19.

Her acting debut came in 2007 in "Om Shanti Om", opposite Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. Her struggle, she said, was in understanding colleagues, the craft and finding comfort in front of the camera.

"When you begin working in your early 20s you are also understanding yourself and meeting many people who have an influence on your life -- some good, some bad," said the actress, smartly dressed in a high-collared shirt and trousers, with a hint of makeup on her flawless skin.

If she saw early stardom with her debut film, Padukone has also faced some poor showings at the box office.

Her 2010 films "Lafangey Parindey" (Rogue Birds), "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se" (We Play Wholeheartedly) and "Karthik Calling Karthik" all flopped.

She praised the role of her followers in keeping her motivated.

"Fans give you love. I know mine love me for who I am and not just because of the success of my films, because even in the years when my films were not doing well, I felt the same love from the audience and fans."

Padukone agreed that 2013 has been career-defining, with the hits "Race 2", "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani" (This Youth is Crazy) and "Chennai Express", again co-starring Shah Rukh Khan, which became the most profitable movie in India.

Also this year "Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela" (The Battle of Bullets: Ram-Leela), an interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, won Padukone near-universal praise.

There were even reports of her being considered for a role in the next instalment of the "Fast & Furious" franchise -- although the film is now uncertain after US actor Paul Walker's fatal car accident.

"I know how close I was to doing that film, but I choose to stand by my earlier commitments here," she said.

"'Fast & Furious' didn't work out, for whatever reasons. But it's ridiculous for people to say that the stories were floated for publicity. Sometimes I think it's destiny," she said.
Hollywood hopes

But she suggests Hollywood projects remain a real possibility.

"I am sure there will be something else."

Padukone has thus far mostly played the romantic female lead in typically commercial Bollywood films, combining song, dance, comedy and action.

In real life, director Homi Adajania describes her as having an "intense drive", combined with loyalty and "wisdom to play the game with poise".

She credits her background in sports with her disciplined approach.

"If my backhand is weak then before the next tournament I better practice my backhand properly," she said.

"When a film does well or does not do well, you analyse it and work on the things that did not work."

Padukone has also faced constant interest from gossip columns, whether over her love life -- especially her former relationship with fellow star Ranbir Kapoor -- or supposed tiffs within the small group of Bollywood A-listers.

"I think it is more media-created than reality," she said of rivalries with other actresses.

"That may have existed earlier, but I don't think it exists now. We may not be the best of friends but that is because we don't have the opportunities or the time.

"It's not that we don't want to. I think we are all secure in the work we do."

Padukone's next films include "Finding Fanny", an English-Konkani language satire and "Kochadaiiyaan" (The king with a long, curly mane), a Tamil period film with south Indian superstar Rajnikanth.

"It's nice to be appreciated and loved. I know that I have the ability to make people laugh, cry or smile," she said.

"That I have a certain influence on people's lives is very humbling -- and a responsibility to bear."

Deepika for Vogue Eyewear

Big gets bigger in 2014

Vinayak Chakravorty   |   Mail Today  |   December 15, 2013 | UPDATED 16:54 IST

Bollywood is ready with a platter that has something for everyone.

SRK and Deepika star in Farah Khan's comic thriller, Happy New Year

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/big-gets-bigger-in-2014/1/331371.html

Girl by The Window: Deepika Padukone turns writter!

Mail Today Bureau  December 15, 2013 | UPDATED 17:33 IST

Actor Deepika Padukone spins a story about love, life and longing.

Thoughts, unending thoughts - bordering on anxiety? 'Girls just wanna have fun' or so they say. There's some of that but plenty of slogging as well, which is why I can't fall asleep - something that's usually as easy as switching off the lights.

Guess I am trying to exorcise the day from my system. When one is extremely tired, one can't sleep easily.

Never believed that...till today.

Ten hours at the studio, four spent on travelling - I should've been a zombie but my mind's buzzing. Who am I talking to? No one, myself, and everyone. Questions don't need answers.

It's 3 a. m. The sea stretch visible from my room seems to be resting too. Not a ripple, not a wave. The half-moon is shedding a glow. Can't see the stars distinctly, they are just freckles. Not one of those mega-watts moonlit nights which have been the staples of romantic novels. In fact, there is something tender about a night illuminated by a moon, suggesting romance, love, togetherness.

But who knows, those picture-book drawings associated with a moon surrounded by stars, as its courtiers, may be a fallacy. A myth? Made-for-each-other - a catchy phrase but sometimes I wonder if there is anything like a perfect pair. Can't be, that's possible only in Robotland. Statistics seem to scream out loud that urban stress, differences are slowly but steadily extinguishing those moonlit nights.

Into The Night

Now, am I being cynical? Looking at the darker side of the moon? Actually, I'm just letting my thoughts run. This new apartment of mine is a sign of my independence. Always wanted to buy and cherish a house of my own. Which girl doesn't? Unless she has this notion that marriage, husband, in-laws, and children are her tradition-mapped destiny. Absolutely natural. No quarrel with that at all. I'd want to be in that situation too but that's still far away. Miles to go before I sleep...with anyone in the same room! There's something comforting about this house. I can be alone, need that private space. I haven't recruited any domestic help. Let's see for how long I can zoom up in the elevator, unlock the door, walk in, cook myself a small dinner, go to sleep, like clockwork. Not sure it will last long. I may believe I need solitude but that could be a passing phase. I suspect I need people around me.

The security arrangements at this high-rise seem good but there's always that fear. An intruder? A ghost-ha ha? An extraterrestrial? But then why should any ET alight on my apartment, and not on someone else's. Girl, next you'll be imagining flying saucers descending on the sea right before your eyes.

Take light, go to sleep. Pillow, pillow, here I come... MOONLIGHT SONATA From my window, there's no sign of daybreak yet. The half-moon's still on. Wish it would leave politely the way journalist ji did.

Stop it, stop the day from replaying on the turntable of your mind.

Go on, count those sheep, try to snatch some sleep. Should I put on some music? Should have thought of that earlier.

Music! I've been avoiding talking about music. I might as well confess that's what's keeping me awake. I was sure romance, in the traditional sense of the word, was dead. But then last night, I got this text message from someone I had considered very special in my life. Our friendship had disintegrated, and that too somewhat acrimoniously.

Last night, this friend sms'ed me, must have been around 10 or 10.30 at night. I thought he was being cute. Cute and smart. The sms message asked, with a smiley, if I nursed any secret desires. Typical of him to use such a word. Desire! Without thinking, I messaged back, 'Yes. Desire to learn to play a musical instrument.' Within a few hours, must have been a little past midnight, a grand old master piano was delivered to my doorstep.

I've been trying to ignore it...in vain. It's sitting there, right there, right now, bathed in moonlight. There...I have said it.

Now you know why I can't sleep.

I feel lovely, happy...er...desired.

Love knows no yesterdays or todays. It just is. Perfect...or almost there.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/girl-by-the-window-deepika-padukone-turns-writer/1/331378.html