Bangalore Times was the only paper that brought you the exclusive news of how Deepika Padukone,
Kangana Ranaut and Chitrangda Singh underwent screen tests for a role in the Vin Diesel film Fast &
Furious 7. Well, it is now being said that Bollywood’s reigning diva, Deepika, has bagged the part. She
will play a significant character in the thriller, which also stars Hollywood tough guys Jason Statham and
Dwayne Johnson and could hit the marquee sometime next year.
Deepika’s paperwork is on and, in keeping with Hollywood’s very professional stance, it is likely to take
almost six months for the contract to be drawn up. She is currently in Dubai shooting with Shah Rukh
Khan. Neither she nor her domestic spokespersons are allowed to reveal anything to the media about
the project. Interestingly, when scouting for talent in Bollywood, casting agents were reportedly asked
for someone slender and statuesque or ‘someone like Deepika Padukone’. Following this brief, she was
also the first actress to audition for the role. For the Indian film industry, Deepika bagging a huge
Hollywood franchise is another giant leap in the direction of the West.
Others before her — Tabu (The Namesake, Life Of Pi); Irrfan (The Namesake, The Amazing Spider-Man,
Life Of Pi), Amitabh Bachchan (The Great Gatsby); Anil Kapoor (Slumdog Millionaire, Mission: Impossible
— Ghost Protocol), Anupam Kher (Silver Linings Playbook); Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (Bride and
Prejudice, The Pink Panther 2, The Mistress Of Spices, Provoked); Om Puri (City Of Joy, The Ghost And
The Darkness, East Is East); Naseeruddin Shah (The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Great New
Wonderful) and Shabana Azmi (Midnight’s Children, City Of Joy) — have already made their mark on the
world marquee.
By Shreya Karuna De/ News Mania Desk
