A sport of glamour

SHE'S THE 'D' girl of tinsel town. The newly-crowned 'Dream Girl'. With the best banners and the best men in the business (read: Khans, Kumar and Kapoors) vouching for her, a hottie like RK for a boyfriend, and admirers galore — Deepika Padukone wins the coveted title hands down.

Deepika speaks about her unrevealed emotions of love, envy and pride!

You are a badminton champ. Ever thought of doing your country proud at the Olympics?

I doubt people are aware, but I quit playing national level badminton in 2002. If I had continued till 2008, I could be representing India at the Olympics right now. Life had other plans for me, and I had other plans for myself.

So now you'd choose the Oscars over the Olympics?

To me they are the same. I always wanted to be part of the entertainment industry, and I have just started out. Olympics are passé for now. And the Oscars are far-fetched. Though I want to contribute to Indian sports in every way I can.

After a debut with SRK, it only has to get bigger. Too much of pressure?

In terms of a film, that was a huge start, but as far as performance, I've to better myself. I don't think even Mr Bachchan will sit up and say 'I know everything'. And after a solo hit, a lot of people wondered why I did a two-heroine project. People are saying that I am brilliant in my second film, and that's all I want to hear. So what if I find a good role in a multi-starrer, with some other girls?

You are romancing actors from 20 to 40 somethings. What's next, 60 plus?

Let's hope. I am working with Akshay Kumar, I don't know what his age is and I don't want to know it, but I think he is extremely good-looking and he's ageing gracefully. He is one of the most energetic actors we have. I am also working with Saif for Imtiaz Ali's film. He is like a child on the sets, he has to be taken care of and fed all the time.

Comparisons with Ash are plenty. Your reaction?

I admire the way Ash has handled her career. It's not been easy for her as she's always faced a lot of criticism and speculation, which is absolutely unfair. I know what she is going through and what she could be feeling. At the same time she's always dealt with it boldly and kept smiling through it. If I am compared to her, it's truly a compliment to me.

The men have often labelled you a 'heartbreaker'.

In India when relationships don't work out, society ends up blacklisting a woman, and claim she is like 'this' or 'that'. Why don't they sit back and think that if she has stepped out of a relationship, there could be something not right with the man, too? Tell me, if I was happy in a past relationship, why would I step out of it?