Thaindian News

By Subhash K. Jha
Mumbai, Feb 27 (IANS) Bollywood star Deepika Padukone has become so addicted to the card game Mendicot that she along with the team of the new film “Karthik Calling Karthik” continued to play it on a commercial flight, even as other passengers tried to sleep.

The team was to fly back to Mumbai from Jaipur 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 the city.

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 on a whirlwind tour of cities across the country to promote “Kartik Calling Kartik”, Deepika Padukone has gotten addicted to playing cards, which is what this week’s rival film “Teen Patti” is all about.

Deepika flew out of Mumbai in a 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 were less than two hours. So all we did was play Mendicot on the flights.”

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.”