Deepika Padukone and her younger sister Anisha are “poles apart”. But, what’s the common thread between the siblings? “We never tried to be someone else,” said Anisha, the 24-year-old golfer who was in Calcutta to play the Eastern India Ladies and Junior Girls Amateur Golf Championship at Royal Calcutta Golf Club. On Wednesday afternoon, t2 chatted with the younger daughter of badminton legend Prakash Padukone at the Royal Shamiana on everything from her elder sister’s battle with depression to her elder sister’s ‘friend’ Ranveer Singh. Over to the other Padukone.

You are one of the top five amateurs in golf in India. Do you feel like an achiever?
Yes, I had set certain goals for myself when I had decided to start playing golf. I have achieved a few of them but there’s still a long way to go. I am happy with the way it is progressing. It’s a little bit slower than what I would have liked. But it takes time, you can’t rush things.

Your Twitter bio says you are working towards an Olympic medal. So, when do we get to see that?
That’s why it is going a bit slow! (Smiles) Golf is been reintroduced in the Olympics in 2016. I don’t think I will be turning pro (professional) by then. So, I won’t be playing, but hopefully in 2020! That would be a good target. I have enough time... four to five years now. 

Who are your favourite national and international golfers?  
I practise with Anirban Lahiri. I have known him for very long now. We have the same coach (Vijay Divecha). He is a good friend. He is the young international star. I hope golf becomes popular in our country because of him. Internationally, it would have to be Tiger Woods.    

What is dad Prakash Padukone for you?
He is everything — a friend, a mentor and a guide. I don’t only talk to him about golf. If it is golf-related, he helps me with the mental aspect of the game because he hasn’t played golf to help me with the technical aspects. But since he has played sport at a higher level and the mental abilities remain the same, he helps me with those things. If I’ve had a bad game, he will cheer me up and if I win, he will give me a pat on the back. (Smiles)

Name two Indian sportswomen who inspire you…
Saina Nehwal. I am a huge fan! I follow all her matches. She trains at my father’s academy now. I go and watch her whenever I am in town (Bangalore) or have time. I have met her a couple of times. I try to learn as much as I can from her. She is pretty reserved but what I like the most about her is that whenever she practises, she is very focused. She never gets distracted. She is not on the phone. She doesn’t talk to anyone. Even when she takes a break, she sits on the side and focuses on what she needs to do during practice. All this shows in her game. She is mentally strong.
P.T. Usha also inspires me because she achieved things at a time when it was really difficult, especially for a woman.
 
What is that one thing you love more about Calcutta than Bangalore? 
Mithai! (Smiles) Rosogolla and mishti doi. I have been having it since I was a kid. I prefer Indian sweets and most of them are Bengali sweets.  

Which is the most difficult hole at RCGC? 
The 14th hole is difficult. I hit the ball long. So I think this golf course favours those who hit it long. 

If not a golfer, then what? 
I have played a lot of sports when I was young so maybe some other sportsperson. I think... hockey. 

What do you have to say about sister Deepika Padukone’s Live Love Laugh Foundation?
She launched it on Saturday. I am very happy and proud that she thought of doing something like this. Achieving success in life is one thing and giving it back is another. She can reach out to a lot of people because of her celebrity status. Even before the foundation was started, I know she has helped a lot of people to get over their depression. 

How did you and the family support her during the low days?
She went through it last year. It was a tough time. Not just for her, for the family. It was difficult because she is generally a very happy person. We were used to seeing her happy and smiling always. It was difficult to see someone you love breaking down or in pain. We were very supportive of whatever she had to do. Thankfully, we had the right resources to deal with it in the right way. And she agreed, as taking medication and stuff is not very common in India yet. Which is why she set up the foundation. I am glad she is out of it. She is a strong person. (Smiles)

What’s your equation with her like? Is she protective about you? 
There’s nothing different. We are like any other sisters. We are five years apart so she is pretty protective. She will give me advice. She will guide me or will tell me not to do something. We talk about family issues or people in general. It’s like normal conversation that happens in any other household.

What are your common interests? 
Sports and movies. Even if we are not interested in something, we are curious to know about each other’s lives.  

Both of you are travelling all the time so how do you keep in touch?  
Usually over the phone only. We both get busy. We don’t talk everyday. We try and meet once in two-three months.  

Do you feel you are always under the scanner because you are a Padukone? For example, do you have to dress stylish off the green?
Deepika is very stylish. Style evolves with age and according to trends. She was always into clothes, shopping and being dressed well. And I was always the opposite. I am always a jeans and a T-shirt kind of a person. I don’t need to change as long as I am comfortable wearing what I have to. Whenever I have to dress up for a wedding or a party, I do dress up. 

So what are the dissimilarities and similarities between Deepika and Anisha? 
We are poles apart. You can tell from the line of work. Every individual is different. You just have to be yourself. That’s one similarity that we never tried to be someone else. We are happy with who we are and comfortable being who we are.

Does she ask for your opinion on her work?
She asks for my opinion because I am pretty harsh. (Smiles) She knows I am honest so what I say is not fake. She asks for everyone’s opinion in the family.... She doesn’t understand too much about golf. But whatever she can understand, she cheers me all the time. 

Have you met Ranveer Singh? What do you think of him as a person? 
Yes, we met. (Smiles) He is a very nice person. He is very well brought up and down-to-earth despite what he has achieved. He is a very good actor. Really talented! 

Who do you find good-looking on screen? 
I found Paul Walker very good-looking. I was very sad when he passed away. 

Ratnalekha Mazumdar
After reading this I think Anisha Padukone is.... Tell t2@abp.in