Mumbai, Dec 24 (IANS) Deepika Padukone, whose father was a badminton champion, uses the spirit of sportsmanship while working in filmdom and says she knows how to be competitive in a positive manner.

One of the A-list actresses, she has some good projects in hand like "Chennai Express" with Shah Rukh Khan and "Rana" with southern superstar Rajinikanth.

"I think there are two ways to look at it. Everybody doesn't get to do each and every film. I don't compete with others; I compete with myself. I have been an athlete, a sportsperson; so I know how to be competitive in a healthy way," Deepika, a former badminton player whose father, Prakash Padukone, was a national badminton champion and won the coveted All-England badminton crown, told IANS in an exclusive interview.

This year she had only one release, the commercially successful "Cocktail". She says it is difficult to predict what will work at the box office.

"Many a time, a most predictable film doesn't work, while the least expected films click at the box office. So everything is in the hands of the audience. I don't demarcate any film. If a film does well and gets into the Rs.100 crore club, well and good. But I want the audience to appreciate my quality of work," she said.

Her forthcoming film is "Race 2", in which she has teamed up with Saif Ali Khan yet again after working with him in hits like "Love Aaj Kal", "Aarakshan" and "Cocktail".

She hopes movie buffs appreciate their chemistry in the the fast-paced thriller.

"Saif is fun to work with. We have worked in four films together and I share a comfort level with him. The most exciting part is that all the four films are completely different from one another."

"He is a very spontaneous actor. You never know what to expect from him. The audience have liked our chemistry before and, hopefully, they will appreciate it again in 'Race 2'," she said and clarified that they never planned to work together; "it just happened".

"Race 2" is a multi-starrer with big names like Anil Kapoor and John Abraham vying for their space.

Asked what prompted her to be part of the film, Deepika said: "I really liked 'Race' and that excited me to be part of the film. Besides, I like the working style of Abbas-Mustan. The character that I play in the film is also different. I play a very manipulated and very aggressive woman, which I have not played before."

"Race 2" may be a sequel to 2008 hit "Race", but for Deepika it is "an independent film".

"Yes, there is a flow in the story but I joined the crew in 'Race 2'; so it doesn't affect my work anyway," she added.

In the film, the 26-year-old has some steamy and bold scenes with Saif.

Was she comfortable doing them?

"It's not about being comfortable or uncomfortable; I consider each and every scene the same way. For me, each and every scene stands out and I approach each and every scene in the same way."

"Race 2" also features Jacqueline Fernandez and Ameesha Patel and is slated for a Jan 25 release.

(Uma Ramasubramanian can be contacted at uma.sagit@gmail.com)

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