Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Leela Bhansali first collaborated for 2013 film Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela. This was followed up with the 2015 blockbuster Bajirao Mastaani. Their last collaboration as of yet, was 2018’s Padmaavat. The actress recently recalled the time she unknowingly ended up influencing the director’s already well-established sense of aesthetic.

When Deepika Padukone influenced Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s aesthetic

In an exclusive chat with People, Deepika Padukone shared an anecdote involving her Ram Leela director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Reflecting on his keen sense of observation, she revealed how prints he had seen in her home-decor were seamlessly introduced into the overall set aesthetic for one of their films. 

She said, “I remember when Sanjay Leela Bhansali came to my house for the first time. I had these two Raja Ravi Varma prints. And a couple of months later when we were filming, he had a similar thing on his set. I remember him telling me, ‘You remember these. I saw them at your house on the way out.’ “

Deepika Padukone opens up about her own curated sense of aesthetics

Just like her own aesthetic ended up influencing the set decor for one of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s films, Deepika revealed how the process of getting influenced is always a two-way street. She attributed her extensive time spent on film sets as being the primary influences behind the “pockets of drama” in her home aesthetic. She also credited her global travels with influencing her aesthetic sense over time. 

She said, “I’m sure the film sets that we spend so much of our time on have an influence in the way that I do up my spaces…I don’t think I can go with just one route or one particular aesthetic. So if a piece of furniture is modern, then I have to find something around it to make it less modern. I like mixing things up, so it’s modern, mixed with classic. I think if I had to sum up my style today, it would really be a mix of different things that I’ve seen from around the world.” Deepika Padukone will next be seen in the Prabhas led Kalki 2898 AD, set to release on May 9.