Just one film old, actress Deepika Padukone is all set for the release of her second movie – Bachna Ae Haseeno from the Yash Raj Films’ stable. 

Directed by Siddharth Anand, the movie also stars Ranbir Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Minissha Lamba.

Padukone, who made her debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om, also has Chandni Chowk To China opposite Akshay Kumar lined up for this year.

In this interview, she holds forth on Bachna Ae Haseeno and her experience working with Yash Raj Films and her co-stars.

Excerpts: 

What made you decide to do this film?
Siddharth called me up sometime before the release of my first film Om Shanti Om and said that he wanted to narrate a script to me. When I met Siddharth, it was so exciting that I think I said ‘yes’ to the film that very second.

Siddharth asked me whether I want to take three/four days off to think about it and then come back. But this was not something that I really wanted to think about, and the minute he gave me a narration and told me about my role in the film I was really sure that I wanted to do this and I was really excited because this is my second film.

What character do you play in the film?
I play the character of Gayatri, who lives independently and at the same time she is traditional in a certain ways. She believes in herself, she is very confident and beyond that, she is a very emotional person.

What kind of a look and styling have Aki Narula worked on for you in the film?
I have known Aki since when I was in the fashion industry; I have done many ramp shows for him. Now it is nice to know this side of him. He has done very trendy styling for me in the film, yet he caters to what the audiences are looking for these days. The style and silhouette is new and different and we hope it works.

How was your experience with Ranbir Kapoor?
Ranbir is a great co-star. Considering that this is just his second film, he has had a lot of training and experience and he has been able to teach me a lot. At the same time, I noticed that he has an equation with Siddharth wherein he and Siddharth would go back and forth on certain ideas, which were used sometimes and not used sometimes. But he is just so creative and his mind is thinking all the time, is great working with him.

Which is your favourite song in the film?
My favourite song from Bachna Ae Haseeno is Khuda Jane. I love the lyrics and the way it is shot and somewhere it is very true to the way I feel as well. When we were shooting at Puglia, Ranbir and I had to stand on a rock in the middle of the water, so we both were dropped there in a speedboat and then the boat had to leave. It was the most unreal experience because you have beautiful clean water with three different shades and just the two of us standing there and wondering whether something like a water snake will come out. Apart from that, I like the title track of Bachna ae Haseeno, Vishal and Shekhar have done a fantastic job with the remix.

In your second film, as well Vishal-Shekhar duo has done the music. What are your thoughts on the range of music they do?
Vishal and Shekhar did the music for my first film as well and they are extremely talented. They catered different music for both the films, the first one being very retro in terms of music and the second one being modern yet I would listen to it even 10 years down the line. Their music is very soulful and touching.

How was your overall experience shooting in Italy?
Italy was great fun. We shot for 10 days for a romantic song in beautiful locations. I would not have discovered this beautiful place had we not shot this song there. It is a place, I would like to go for a holiday or honeymoon. It is a beautiful place, untouched and so pure. The most exciting part of shooting this song was that we shot everyday and travelled in the evening to another location to set up in the next place and then shoot again the whole day. I do not think anyone has ever travelled so much to shoot one song.

Can you tell us something about your experience working with Minissha and Bipasha?
This film in particular does not include any interaction between the three girls. So I have not interacted much with Bipasha or Minnisha except when we shot the music video, but they are great girls and hopefully the three of us have been able to contribute enough for Ranbir’s film.

What was it like working with Yash Raj Films?
It was a dream come true! I did not think so early in my career I would get to work with such a big production house. It has been an absolute pleasure and I am definitely looking forward to doing more films with them.