I don't buy Kanjivaram sarees myself, I pinch them from my mother: Deepika Padukone

Dressed in a monochrome outfit and sporting Vogue Eyewear cat-eye glasses, Bollywood star Deepika Padukone takes a moment to mull over the concept of luxury. Given her round-the-clock schedules, glamourous fashion shoots, red carpet appearances and endorsements, the actress confesses that she considers basics like delicious food and deep sleep as luxuries. After this initial revelation though, Padukone moves to a conversation peppered with all kinds of exotica:

Luxury for you is...

Food and sleep. When I am shooting, eight hours of sleep a day is a luxury. I love sleeping. And food — ask my producers and they will tell you that one way to keep me happy on a film set is to feed me. It does not have to be fancy restaurant food. It can even be basic daal-chawal or rasam and rice. I’m just someone who needs to eat all the time. I recently tried something different: Peruvian food. It was lovely. In a lot of ways, the flavours are similar to Indian ones. I also enjoy Japanese and Greek food. In that sense, luxury means different things to different people. For some, buying expensive clothes and shoes is luxury. You can’t sort of box it.

Also read: Deepika Padukone, Vijay Mallya inspired Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Calendar Girls'

Which item do you splurge the most on in your wardrobe?
Shoes and it’s difficult to get my size in India. In fact, anywhere in the East is difficult. I usually get my shoes from Europe. Apart from that, you don’t get good active wear in India. So, Nike is my go-to brand and what I am most comfortable in. You can even attend a meeting in it.



A favourite pair of heels?

There is no favourite pair or brand, but right now, it may be a toss up between YSL and Tom Ford.

Shopping destinations you love?

Kuala Lumpur and Europe. And online. I’ve been introduced to it recently. Everyone is shopping online, all my friends and stylists. Everyone’s like, “What? You don’t shop online? So passé!” I am still old-school and like the actual touch, feel, try it on and then pay for it process. But apparently, you can shop and exchange things online easily. I have shopped online at Crate & Barrel. I bought a lot of my stuff for my home from there. But clothes and shoes, I’m a little traditional. I go to a store and try it on.

A luxury passed on to you by your mother...

All her jewellery and she has beautiful Kanjivaram sarees. Probably because of my age, I don’t invest in those sarees now. I just whack them off her.

Also read: My mom is my fashion icon: Deepika Padukone

A hotel stay that redefined luxury?
Because of the business we are in, people extend themselves to make it comfortable for us. But would they do the same if you were not famous? I am yet to experience that.

Recently, we were in Greece and stayed in a boutique hotel. That’s what I love about the country — they have these small hotels. Each hotel has just five, 10 or 20 rooms and it is so private. Some dishes on the menu will be recipes passed on by grandmothers. I felt that they’re very warm, with a homely, friendly vibe. They don’t have a butler type of service and yet, it’s so personal. I enjoyed that kind of luxury.