Deepika Padukone interview: Intimacy in 'Gehraiyaan' is not to titillate the audience
Deepika Padukone in a still from 'Gehraiyaan'
Deepika Padukone’s latest film ‘Gehraiyaan’ has been a topic of discussion ever since the film’s first trailer came out. Directed by Shakun Batra, ‘Gehraiyaan’ features an ensemble cast comprising of Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa, Naseeruddin Shah and Rajat Kapoor along with Deepika.
The film’s intimate scenes-featuring Siddhant and Deepika- became a talking point much before its release. But Deepika, while speaking to WION insisted that the intimacy shown in the film was not to titillate the audience.
“Intimacy is not there to titillate or to excite the audience. It is natural and honest to these characters. I have an inherent trust in Shakun and so I agreed to the film. We knew we would showcase lovemaking differently in the film but didn’t discuss the specifics of it was initially offered to me.”
Insisting that infidelity is only one of the aspects of the film, Deepika said ‘Gehraiyaan’ was much more. “There is a character who has made choices and has to go through a series of emotions and consequences because of it. It’s not KANK- infidelity is just one of the themes of the film,” said the actress.
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The actress though admitted that Alisha, her character in ‘Gehraiyaan’, is the most complex role she has played in her career. “Alisha is the most layered and complex character I have played on screen. Playing such a role comes with its own set of challenges. But while performing, it didn’t come in my mind. I guess, one just goes with the flow and it's important to be true to the moment. I didn’t really prep for the role. It is the most complex character I have played on screen.”
The star said she would have not signed the film, had it not been for director Shakun Batra who in the past has made films like ‘Kapoor and Sons’ and ‘Ek Main Aur Ek Tu’. Batra also serves as a co-writer of the film. Recalling her experience on the sets, the actress said she enjoyed performing the scenes with Naseeruddin Shah, Rajat Kapoor and Siddhant Chaturvedi the most.
'Gehraiyaan'was released on Prime Video on February 11 and received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike. Deepika said, had she not been a part of the film- she would have still been looking forward to watching it.
Read:'Gehraiyaan' review: Deepika Padukone steers this moody, complex relationship drama well
“I am fairly objective about these things- even if I wasn’t in this film if I heard of this film- as an audience I would be excited to watch it because of the way it looks.”
The film was announced in 2019 but due to the pandemic got delayed and was eventually released on the OTT platform.
Deepika, who turned producer in early 2019 with ‘Chhapaak’ and was also the co-producer of ‘83’ feels OTT has opened up avenues for not just female actors but everyone. “The boom of OTT has certainly provided a lot more opportunities - that extends beyond female actors- it extends to male actors, writers, cinematographers. We are talking of an entirely new platform where one has the ability to showcase talent and to tell different kinds of stories OTT has certainly opened up a new avenue for talent in this country.
Watch:Exclusive! 'Gehraiyaan' is more than an infidelity story, says director Shakun Batra
Has the rise in OTT led to more experimentation in terms of characters and content, we asked. “We were on that journey anyway. We would have gotten here sooner rather than later as seen in the West, I think the pandemic quickened the process," Deepika said.
‘Gehraiyaan’ is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
