Thaindian News

February 27, 2010 (Sampurn Wire): It was a flight from Jaipur to Mumbai that the passengers won’t forget in a hurry. On Monday Deepika and her Karthik Calling Karthik team was to fly back on a private jet. But the pilot informed the team that they couldn’t head for Mumbai due to a cyclone that was to hit Mumbai.

Says Deepika, “We had to return on Monday night because many of us had to leave for Dubai for the premiere on Tuesday morning. So from Jaipur to Mumbai we all booked ourselves into the economy class of a commercial airline.”

What could’ve turned out to be a nightmare turned out to be a joyride for Deepika and her team and perhaps not such a pleasurable experience for the other late-fliers on board.

Says Deepika gleefully, “We had blocked a whole row and instead of sleeping after a super-hectic day we started playing Mendicot. We forgot we were in a commercial flight. So we were yelling and screaming in excitement while the rest of the passengers were trying to sleep.”

And now for the first time in her life Deepika is seriously addicted. “I can’t stop playing Mendicot. Ritesh and Farhan introduced me and director Vijay Lalwani to the game. When we took off on Sunday from Mumbai on our private jet the first thing Farhan and Ritesh did was to teach us this game. I’ve become addicted.”

This could qualify as the biggest irony of the entertainment industry in recent times. While going a whirlwind tour of cities across the country to promote her new film Karthik Calling Karthik Deepika Padukone has gotten addicted to playing cards, which is what this week’s rival film Teen Patti is about.

Deepika flew out of Mumbai in private jet on Sunday and Monday with her co-star Farhan Akhtar, director Vijay Lalwani and producer Ritesh Sidhwani.

Sighs Deepika, “I l-o-v-e-d the whirlwind tour. For two days I had more fun than I’ve had in my entire life. Throughout the trip we played Mendicot –not teen patti, please! We didn’t sleep at all for two days because some of the flight-duration was less than two hours. So all we did was play Mendicot on flight.”

Now Deepika is hopelessly addicted to the game.

On Tuesday Deepika headed for Dubai. “It has been a hectic time. We covered six cities in two days…three cities a day. It was possible only because the producer hired a private jet.”

-Subhash K Jha/ Sampurn Wire