Deepika Padukone on her Chennai Express look

She fits the role of a modern young woman to the hilt, but Chennai Express pulls Deepika Padukone out of that zone and presents her as a traditional southern Indian girl. The actress says styling and costumes are the key to good performances.

"The get-up helps a lot...your job is half done if your styling is right," said Deepika.

"If I am shooting in a village and the way that is created, it (the character) comes automatically. When you are in the (right) clothes and in the world of the film, you give it that much more automatically," she said.

If Race 2 saw her portraying a sensuous look, in Cocktail she was presented as the carefree modern girl, while Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani saw her as nerd. The actress said that her different looks have a lot to do with the story and the character she plays.

"It is not about whether I have a say or not. It all depends on the character I am playing. I could not have dressed like this (as a traditional in Chennai Express) in Race, in Cocktail or Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. I do have sessions with my stylist and my director. It is not a conscious decision to look different," Deepika told IANS in a group interview.

She doesn't plan her films either and added: "Cocktail was modern, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani was a mix and Chennai Express is traditional."

She admits taking interest in her looks, but feels that stylists and their team deserve appreciation for designing the right look for her.

"I do take an interest a little bit. But I trust that the experts know what they are doing. We walk away with the credit, but the people who work behind the scenes are good.

"I tell them what I am comfortable with or not. But sometimes their job is to take me out of my comfort zone if it works for the film," she said.

She looks fresher with each film. "I guess love and happiness makes you feel like that. The success of my films is reflecting...love from my fans," she said. Deepika works on a different philosophy when it comes to work.

"Forget beauty and brains, life is about heart. I don't think from my mind at all, which a lot of times my friends shout at me about. I feel creativity should be there. I hope that I continue to work in the same way and that it does not change," she said.

Directed by Rohit Shetty, Chennai Express, which also stars Shah Rukh Khan, hits theatres on Thursday (August 8).