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Model talk
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Reticent yes, but ravishing. Will she be the next big thing? SHONALI MUTHALALY meets model Deepika Padukone
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"You have to be selective, you don't do every campaign. You're not just doing it for the money" Deepika
GOING PLACES Deepika Padukone
Celebrities rarely squeal for help mid-interview, no matter how tough you're being on them. Deepika Padukone's an exception.
"Ummmm... . Help me, come on!" she says, looking so much like a lost kitten that I can't help but oblige, providing her with both the questions and answers. "I'm really very shy. And very quiet," she explains, thoughtfully crossing her apparently endless jeans-clad legs as she makes herself comfortable on a chair at the Chennai Trade Centre, just before The Hindu MetroPlus fashion show. So, sometimes, she says, the travel her job involves — usually one of the biggest perks of being a model — can be more taxing than tempting.
Famous face
Young Padukone might be reticent, but that hasn't stopped her from going places — in every sense of the word. Daughter of ace badminton player Prakash Padukone, she began modelling just about a year ago and, with a number of advertisements, including the catchy Liril and Close Up ads, under her belt, at 19, she's already one of the most recognisable faces on the cocktail and couture circuit.
The best part? She gets to stay at home. "I'm still Bangalore based," she says, with a grin, stating that she was lucky she started modelling when she did, at a time when the South is slowly catching up with Mumbai as far as modelling campaigns and ramp shows go. "If I'd started earlier, I would have had to move to Mumbai. But today, without shifting base I'm terribly busy all through the year."
While aspiring models tend to wear out their stilettos, walking from agent to agent, waving portfolios and begging for a break, Deepika's rise has been relatively painless, and surprisingly quick. And model co-ordinators are already talking about how she's likely to be the "Next Big Thing.' "I think it differs from individual to individual," she says. "There are girls who have been struggling for years and are suddenly being recognised today, and... well... I wouldn't say I'm a top model. But for the last one year, I've been doing quite well."
"It's about working hard and being selective," she adds, listing out her major campaigns, all of which can be counted on the fingers of just one well-manicured hand. "You have to be selective about the kind of work you do, you don't do every campaign. You're not just doing it for the money."
Break for Indians
Meanwhile, there are the ramp shows too. And with India now the flavour of the season, more and more Indian models are getting a chance to stalk down international ramps. "It's difficult to get those assignments," says Deepika, quickly adding, "but not impossible. Look at Vidisha Pavate and Lakshmi Menon." Besides, she feels Indian models have a distinct advantage over their peaches-and-cream counterparts. "In India, each woman is so different from the other. In my eyes, everyone abroad looks the same," she states earnestly, her eyes wide, "besides, Indian women are more graceful."
And although high-profile assignments that are a First Class jet ride away can be fun, Deepika is quite clear about the fact that "Abroad is not somewhere I would want to live."
"Even when you travel... You're not on a holiday. So, you hardly ever get time to do any sightseeing, or to shop. All you see is the airport, hotel and venue," she says, adding with a laugh, "but I like the whole process and the packing... earlier when I went on holiday with my family, I'd carry so much. Now I'm an expert. I have the list in my head... socks, clothes, shoes, da, da, da.. and it's all done."
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