Imtiaz Ali: Deepika has discovered her emotional quotient

Imtiaz Ali and Deepika Padukone

He has worked with her in two films and filmmaker Imtiaz Ali feel Deepika Padukone has grown both as a person and as an actor.

Imtiaz Ali and Deepika Padukone

The "Piku" actress plays Tara in the upcoming romantic-drama "Tamasha" directed by the 44-year-old director.

When asked if there were any characteristics that the director was looking for in Deepika, Imtiaz told PTI, "Yes. I thought Tara was a kind of person who would look really nice if Deepika does that part. It is not like Deepika is exactly like Tara but it would be interesting... "Deepika in her life has discovered emotional quotient but Tara in her life discovers the emotional quotient in the story of the film, not before. So that was the big difference."

Imtiaz worked with Deepika previously in "Love Aaj Kal" and feels the actress has shed her shyness over the years.

"I think she has grown as a person. She has shed her very inherent shyness while acting. She has been able to overcome that. That is why she looks more confident, she has always been good, but she looks more confident because she has been able to deal with the shyness."

"Tamasha" also stars Ranbir Kapoor and Imtiaz says the "Bombay Velvet" actor was part of the journey when the idea of the turned into a film.

"Ranbir knows most of the stories which are going on in my mind. He has some stories on his mind that I know as well. So I told him about this one and said I am going to make this into a film.

"At the inception stage he decided to work it out. But by that time, the basic soul of the film was in my mind already."

"Tamasha" releases this Friday.