Deepika disappears

By Naomi Canton , Hindustan Times

Deepika Padukone has got herself into hot water. The crew for a BSNL 3G Ad, including a Canadian ad film director and Australian cinematographer, were left stranded for several days in Mumbai, after the Om Shanti Omactress failed to turn up for the ad shoot of the brand she endorses, because she had flown to Cannes instead.

The shoot was expected to start on May 15 and move into various parts of south Mumbai. Production house Film Farm was anchoring the project.

But the director and the cinematographer, after landing on May 12, were informed that Padukone had taken off to attend the Cannes Film Festival. They hung around for days in the city hoping that the shoot would happen. Meanwhile, Padukone debuted at Cannes Red Carpet for the premiere of the French film,Tournee.

After her appearance, Padukone flew to Mauritius to shoot for Danish Aslam’s Break ke Baad. A source from the sets admits that the cost incurred due to the delay would run into several lakhs. “The director was paid his fee. The cinematographer took home a hefty cancellation fee too. Despite being put up at expensive hotels they were furious their time was wasted. Even the local crew incurred heavy expenses. No one actually knows why Deepika went to Cannes and then headed straight to Mauritius. The foreign crew have left India,” our source adds.

Padukone’s manager Piya Sawhney insists that the actress had never agreed to the shoot dates. “Since there were many middlemen involved, someone must have given the production house incorrect dates. I know that Deepika was supposed to do an ad film but we hadn’t locked dates. Someone from the production house called me a few days before the shoot asking about ‘sittings’. I asked, “Who told you that?  I have not given any dates.” I have no idea who told them to go ahead. We confirm all dates with BSNL via email. Deepika never ditches,” adds Sawhney.

A source at Film Farm, who didn’t want to be named, says that the commercial will roll in two or three weeks.