Addressing her directly on Instagram Stories, he said he never intended to hurt her and expressed admiration for their long-standing friendship and collaborations.
Image Source: Instagram
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has issued a personal clarification to actor Deepika Padukone after his comments about her public image sparked a reaction online. He addressed her directly through his Instagram Stories, seeking to clear the air.
“My dearest and loveliest @deepikapadukone,” he wrote, “you are my pal, my buddy, my safe option for humour. I think you will never misunderstand my wannabe fun remarks because you more than anyone else know how much I love you, admire you, understand you, appreciate you… but I have been told you might misunderstand and be hurt so I am telling you pl don’t (sic).”
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He added: “To be mean to you is janam mein to possible nahin hai… I never thought I would write such a disclaimer to you but it’s been a while and I didn’t want to take a chance. Wish you the best and love always.”
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The clarification followed a video that went viral from an interview Imtiaz gave to News18. In the interview, he spoke about the casting process for the 2012 film ‘Cocktail’.
He revealed that Deepika was initially being considered for the role of Meera, a part that was eventually played by Diana Penty. He recalled that she called him after reading for the role and he suggested she try for Veronica instead.
“Veronica is so different from what Deepika’s image was at that point of time,” he said. “But since I had been in the room and attended parties with her, I know how crazy and wild she can be, even though she was otherwise projecting a very ‘good girl’ image at that time.”
He also said: “Now people have seen through the facade. So I thought it would be quite a new thing for Deepika to do. I knew that emotional ground exists, so that was exciting.”
The clip circulated widely on social media and drew attention to the phrase “good girl image,” which some viewers interpreted as a pointed remark about Deepika’s public persona.
Deepika’s portrayal of Veronica in ‘Cocktail’ is widely regarded as one of the turning points of her career. The film was a box office success and her performance earned critical praise.
Playing Veronica, a free-spirited and emotionally complex character, was seen as a departure from the roles she had taken on until that point.
Imtiaz Ali and Deepika Padukone have worked together on three films. Their first collaboration was ‘Love Aaj Kal’ (2009), opposite Saif Ali Khan. ‘Cocktail’ (2012) followed, though Imtiaz served as writer and producer on that film rather than director.
They worked together again on ‘Tamasha’ (2015), which also starred Ranbir Kapoor.
‘Cocktail’ is now set to get a sequel. The new cast includes Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles.
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