Veteran actor and acting coach Jayati Bhatia laughed out loud as she recalled how actor Deepika Padukone ‘went for it’ when she started abusing for a workshop.
![]()
Deepika Padukone made her debut with Om Shanti Om in 2007 but it was Cocktail in 2012 that proved be to a turning point in her career, where she was seen for her acting chops. Since then, the actor has proved herself to be force on screen, delivering successes as well as receiving praise for her performances. In a new interaction with Siddharth Kannan, actor Jayati Bhatia went on to share an interesting memory from the workshops she did with Deepika together before the filming of Ram-Leela.

Ram-Leela was the first film she did with Ranveer Singh. The film was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and was released in 2013. Jayati recalled how she helped the actor prepare for the demanding role in the film, and she approached every exercise with complete dedication. Jayati said, "When I started working with her, she did it with full commitment, full energy. I was told to work with her for seven days, for four hours each but after the fourth day, I told Bhansali, 'Sir, she has become a fearless actress after Cocktail. Cocktail is her breakthrough role. If I work with her for three more days, I will waste her time, and yours. Go for it. She will do whatever you tell her. She is mouldable, fearless; she wants to do something which will challenge her'."
She added how an exercise revealed a new side of the actor, "Bhansali's office has a balcony and there is a snack vendor downstairs. I told her that your exercise is to just abuse loudly standing in that balcony. Don't look down but act like you are addressing it to someone… She opened the door and then she started abusing. I had finished the scene at a particular abusive word, but she went beyond that. She gave more to the scene, said more abusive words, the ones that I had never even heard. Whatever she had heard and she just went for it. And I said, ‘Wow!’ She did not feel hesitant that someone might watch her. She was already a star. People knew her. But she had no fear."
Deepika was last seen in Singham Again. Deepika and Ranveer welcomed their daughter, Dua, in 2024. They announced they were expecting their second child together in April this year. The couple shared the happy news with an adorable picture of Dua holding a pregnancy test kit showing a positive result.
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More