Deepika Padukone personifies style, elegance and grace. Already making waves on the global platform, Dippy has also set temperatures high at the Cannes Film Festival this year. The actress has made her debut at Cannes’ Red Carpet as a L’Oréal Paris ambassador, but she would love to showcase some of her own movies at the film festival, she chuckles. Quiz Deepika on the one movie she’d love to screen at Cannes, and pat comes the reply, “A film of mine which I wish I could’ve brought along would have been Piku.
I can definitely say that Piku is a film I’m very proud of, and I would’ve loved to show it here.” Indian stars’ appearances on the red carpet have always made headlines in recent times. What they pick to wear and how they pull it off has been on the radar of celeb watchers and fashionistas across the world alike. Deepika’s last outing at the MET Gala gained her a good response, when fellow compatriot in the West, Priyanka Chopra’s look was panned. Ask Deepika about it and she says, “I don’t think I’m enough of a fashion expert to really be commenting on anybody else’s style of fashion. We need to respect the fact that different people express themselves differently. It’s another form of expression; Sometimes you may identify with it, and sometimes you may not. But you have to allow people, and give them the liberty to just try different things, and to have fun with the red carpet experience. And people need not be so critical all the time.”
On Day One of the festival, Deepika walked the red carpet wearing a jewel toned maroon creation by Marchesa Notte, paired aptly with Jimmy Choo heels and De Grisogono jewellery. Her second red carpet appearance saw her make a bold statement with smoky eyes in an antique green gown. With the likes of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor already having sashayed down the Cannes red carpet, the obvious comparisons are bound to happen. But Deepika scoffs at them. “It’s obvious (the comparisons) because it’s in your mind,” she says, adding, “It’s an incredible platform; we’re here to represent our brand, and we’re all here because we’re such strong, individual women in our own way. There is no overlap in that. Sometimes, we get into this space of comparison unnecessarily, and that shouldn’t be the case.”
As far as her films go, Deepika asserts that people out there perceive Indian cinema positively and have a keen understanding of how the film industry functions. “They know everything about our industry,” she explains, adding, “When journalists come here, they have a lot of knowledge about cinema. When they’re interacting with people, they know the work you’ve done. On several occasions, they’ve been exposed to Indian films like Devdas and Gangs of Wasseypur… They’re well aware of the films we make.”
So far, Deepika seems to be enjoying taking in the sights and sounds of Cannes. “It’s pretty incredible,” she smiles, adding, “It’s been a lot of fun. I think just being there — the sun, weather, people — you truly have to come here and experience and understand what I’m feeling. There’s so much joy and positivity!”
