Deepika: Kat is an inspiration for a lot of girls

[soniya]

Give her chopsticks, a kohl stick or a plain nan-chaak, Deepika Padukone can wield them with equal intensity and with deadly advantage!

And given her run of biggies, (OSO, BACHNA AE HASEENO and now CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA), with the biggest of banners and stars; the Bangalore beauty has arrived with a big bang. She's lethal too. Ask her about action and she'll tell you how she watched ELEKTRA, **** BILL and then trained in a new form of martial arts to play a Chinese beauty in CC2C. Yet, surprisingly, she's never worn a bikini (like her rivals Kareena and Priyanka) on screen yet. In a very special interview, Deepika told us, ''It's not a conscious decision to do it or to not to do it. It's like, the requirement has never come up; but more than anything I always think that one should be comfortable with what you're wearing and I think if those girls thought that it was required and if they can carry it off, which they have done very well, it's cool.''

On what she felt about Ranbir accidentally injuring Katrina, while real life galpal Deepika was a lot safer doing action with 'pro' Akshay Kumar ''Well you know these things are bound to happen. With someone like Akshay? He's just too good at it to make a mistake. Obviously, he's been around so long, he's mastered the art. While Ranbir's never attempted action before; and I'm sure he'll learn.''

On media and controversy - ''Very honestly there's nothing really to react to. Yes, of course I read it; if I don't read it I get to hear about it or then there's a journalist calling me up to clarify whether its true or not; but to me, honestly it makes no difference because it's the media who decides when we're getting engaged or when we're getting married. So there are days when they say that we've secretly got engaged and married there are days that they think we've broken off.''


On Katrina and rivalry- ''I'm not even in the same project as her for me to complain. I haven't seen any of her recent films, but I think considering where she's come from, she's done a fantastic job. She's definitely come a long way. She's been in the industry for longer than I have and she's learnt fast. She is definitely an inspiration for a lot of young girls like me who've just started off.''

On whether Ranbir was romantic - ''Yes, he is! On whether, if given the choice, she'd choose her man from China, Chandni Chowk or Pali Hill: Tough question. But that's not an option any more. It's Pali Hill. No other choice.''