'Deepika's character not based on Ranbir'

Kunal Kohli denies that Deepika Padukone’s Break Ke Baad character is modelled on ‘commitment phobic’ Ranbir Kapoor, but insiders insist the heartbreak was for real.

In the latest promo of her film, Break Ke Baad, that unveils in theatres this Diwali, actor Deepika Padukone says to her on-screen beau Imran Khan, "I want a relationship of no expectations and obligations." In the film, she plays the role of Alia, an upcoming actress who is commitment phobic and constantly looking for space in her relationship.



Reel life

Meanwhile, rumour mills are buzzing overtime with the news that the character she plays has been modelled on her ex-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor who despite courting her publicly, always prioritised his career over love.

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Quiz producer Kunal Kohli on the subject of RK and he denies any such connection. "All characters in the film are fictitious with no resemblance to anyone, living or dead," he says, laughing. "If there was any inspiration, it came from Danish (director Danish Khan). There are fragments of his life in this reel-life love story. But then Danish is not a story, so I guess he wouldn’t make for a good story."



Kohli admits that like everyone else he too went through his share of break-ups and heartbreaks. But fortunately, his ex never came back to complicate his life. He moved on, found Raveena and they’ve lived happily ever after since; even though she too is a strong-headed career woman like Alia.



"Today every other woman is a working woman. One’s career does and should take precedence at times. But fortunately, in our case, work hasn’t ever created any stress. I guess, it helps that we are from the same profession and understand the pressures of our respective jobs. And also, we’ve learnt not to let link-ups bother us," he reasons.

However, according to close sources, the tough times Deepika was going through during her relationship with Ranbir in real life had her stressed out plenty during the shoot. One schedule in Delhi was particularly bad and sensing her distress, her colleagues would try to draw a smile from her saying that she didn’t need to do any homework for the role since she had seen it all at close quarters.

Prod Kohli on this and he retorts, “Really? I never saw Deepika stressed, she’s a pro and gave her 100 per cent. We shot some cute romantic scenes and a portion of a song in Delhi and everyone seemed happy.” Hmm!