Dear Deepika
I shudder to think what would have been the case had you not boarded the Chennai Express at Kalyan Station.

Up until then, we were treated to a fare which best resembled a low budget television serial with stray actors who did not even have the ability to be decently still on screen when not required to mouth any dialogues. Can you imagine a film with big names starting in a manner like that?
Add to it some frivolous planning of three 40-plus men wanting to have ‘some fun’ in Goa with girls. Whatever!!!

But thank God you decided to catch the running train with a little bit of help from the hero, which left you almost breathless as you took your seat. After that, it was the hero who was left short of breath with your breath-taking performance that chugged along even when the train lost speed.
To be honest, your complete being-in-sync with Meena was a joy. It also came as a surprise. And your continuous presence on screen enabled us, poor viewers, feel vindicated for holding on to our seats till the very end.

You have done well for yourself ever since you charmed the audience with OM SHANTI OM. And though you have shown glimpses of brilliance, this was the first time you bedazzled from Kalyan to Chennai. And mind you, I have not been a fan of yours. Although I have found you to be a decent enough actor on screen (you can work a bit on your accent, though), on this train you were just perfect; including your accent, which you had to round a bit to suit the lingo. I guess that is what made you stand out.

KARTHIK CALLING KARTHIK saw you evolve as an actor; COCKTAIL saw you nudge your acting a few bars higher; a bindaas babe who, beneath her tough exterior, was actually a fragile girl who needed to be loved. The shift from bold to helpless was class.
And now Meenamma!

You will be surprised to know that among those who admire you, not just your acting talent, but personality as a whole, is an 84-year-old gentleman who knows all about ‘Class’.

I was a bit taken aback when he mentioned you as someone who has substance among the younger lot in Bollywood. When I asked him his reason for this assessment, he simply said: ”Deepika has an intrinsic charm which she doesn’t flaunt.”
He should know all about it, because he has a degree in Social and Behavioral Science from the University of Maine, in the US. He started his career in the Indian Air Force (which he quit early in the rank of Squadron Leader). He also spent four years as a diplomat with the Indian Embassy in Paris, France.

He will be out with his fifth book, sometime in October. Maybe you would want to meet him. Let me know.

So there it is. That is what worked for Rohit Shetty; your intrinsic charm which you do not flaunt. And even though ‘reports’ are doing the rounds of the wealth amassed in a few days, you continue to be quiet; quite immersed in the confidence you have in your ability to deliver.

God Bless You
Martin D’Souza
(This weekly column tries to be as honest as honest can be… )