From Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor, Nimrat Kaur to Irrfan Khan, Bollywood stars are making a splash in the West. But they are often criticised for their blink-and-miss appearances. Actress Deepika Padukone, who is making her Hollywood debut with xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, says it is not about the size of the role, but the experience that makes it worthwhile.
“You have to look at everything that you get as an opportunity. There is no role too small or too big. I think it’s what you make of that opportunity. Sometimes the smallest part teaches you a lot. Not judging from what anyone has done in the past, I do feel lucky that I got the opportunity with xXx ...,” Padukone said in Madrid on the sidelines of the ongoing International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) celebrations.
Talking about xXx, she said: “It is not about the size of the role, but the experience. It was fun.”
Padukone will be seen as Serena in the film. xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, a sequel to the 2002 film xXx and 2005 film xXx: State of the Union, also stars Vin Diesel, Samuel L. Jackson, Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa. The film is slated to release on January 20, 2017.
Commenting on her journey from Bollywood to Hollywood, the actress said: “I think it kind of fell in place ... Sometimes certain things happen when it is supposed to. It [the Hollywood film] has been like any other films. I was offered the film and I loved the part.”
She has a lot of action scenes in the film — a genre she explored with Bollywood film Chandni Chowk To China in 2009.
“At the end of the day you always want to challenge yourself. This is one such activity,” she said.
Padukone made her foray into Bollywood in 2007, but before that she was a successful model and had many endorsement deals.
Since her Bollywood launch with Om Shanti Om, Padukone has had an impressive career graph, backed by her ability to slip into distinct characters with ease. Whether it is nerdy Naina of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, the bold Leela in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, a doting daughter in Piku or valiant warrior Mastani in her last release Bajirao Mastani — she’s won audience praise for her performances.
Padukone noted that the Indian film industry “has evolved so much over the years”.
“We have big studios coming in, whether it is the kind of movies which we are making, female-centric films or be it the work ethics — the fact is that after doing Indian films and then doing a film in the west, other than the team being different, it felt exactly the same. It says a lot about where we are as a nation,” she said.
IIFA, the four-day gala that began on Thursday, concludes with an awards ceremony on Sunday. And the actress will also be performing at the event.