To ensure that their leading lady was comfortable during a bikini scene, the producers of Cocktail, Saif Ali Khan, Homi Adajania and Dinesh Vijan, had reserved an entire stretch of beach at Cape Town.

While the lady in question, Deepika Padukone, was quite casual about her much-anticipated two-piece bikini shot, the producers wanted to ensure that there were no prying goras around.

“Though Cape Town is quite safe to shoot, Saif had made all necessary security arrangements. They wanted Deepika to be comfortable and hence secured a section of the beach just for the shoot. Though this did cost a bomb, they didn’t fret much about it,” says our source.

Deepika confesses that she loved the attention. “Yes, the three of them were real gentlemen. I wasn’t really conscious since the bikini was required for the scene and, moreover, the character of Veronica is such that she would wear a bikini at the beach. However, Saif and others insisted that the beach be secured,” she says.

Whenever a leading lady has donned a bikini — Kareena Kapoor in Tashan, Priyanka Chopra in Dostana, Bipasha Basu in Players, Kangana Ranaut in Rascals, to name a few, the producers have used it widely for publicity.

Deepika, however, was promised that Cocktail would be promoted according to its content and not the fleeting skin shows in the film. And the producers have kept their word.

“I am happy because people have realised that the film is not just about a bikini and there is a lot more on offer,” says the actress.

DC