Deepika Padukone talks about her bold new role in 'Cocktail' and discovering friendship after love

Being unabashed is not really a quality one can associate with the normally sober and calm Deepika Padukone. But the actress is pulling it off in her next film. "Unlike my character Veronica, I have had a very secure, stable and very simple upbringing and in that sense it was difficult to identify with the character. But strangely I slipped into the character very easily, " she says.

And while talking about a film that explores the nuances of friendship, the conversation naturally veers towards her circle of close friends. Dippy gets candid about making genuine buddies and finally becoming friends with old flame Ranbir Kapoor...

Your new film is based on relationships and friendship. What is your take on friendship?
Friendship is the base of the film and how three completely different individuals Veronica, Gautam and Meera manage to live under one roof. I have four best friends in my life who are my school friends.Obviously they are all scattered all over now but we all have those close friends whom we count on.

Thankfully for me, I have found friends in the industry as well and I am glad that I have found these people in my life although initially they were purely professional. I suppose, the older I get in to the profession I am in; it would be more and more difficult for me to make genuine friends.



Speaking about relationships, how easy or difficult is it to fall in love?
I guess when it happens to you, you don't even realise that it is happening to you. I guess every romance or every relationship begins with friendship so it's the key. I guess everyone should start off as friends and not jump to the next level immediately. Then the relationship will last much longer.

Coming to your other film helmed by Abbas-Mustan, there has been a lot of controversy around it...
It is not something that I would like to revisit as there has been a lot of back and forth on who said what. The only thing I can say is that I am doing the film and I have finished a large part of it, which I thoroughly enjoyed.



You are doing Rohit Shetty's Chennai Express with SRK...
Am I? (Laughs) I would love to!

You are also doing a film with Ranbir now. Is it awkward shooting with him, given the history behind?
Not at all. You know there is a friendship that we developed putting aside what we went through. We discovered the friendship, which did not exist even when we were in a relationship and that's what I value the most. He is a fantastic co-star, very spontaneous and someone I admire when it comes to acting.