Deepika Padukone turned 26 a couple of days back and is now looking at a New Year which is jam packed for her with a flurry of release round the corner. With 'Cocktail', 'Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani' and 'Race 2' keeping her occupied right through the year, Deepika is hoping that 2012 is far more successful for her than the year gone by and turns out to be a good balance of commercially viable films which are also enjoyable.

See, it's a matter of the fact that success is completely related to the box office. So yes, I want to be a part of successful films. Of course by success, I mean those movies which are commercially viable and also enjoyable. Otherwise there is no fun to be a part of those films which are huge box office draws but not liked by the audience. I want to strike a balance as was the case in films like 'Om Shanti Om' or 'Love Aaj Kal' which were good movies that also did really well with the audience, says Deepika.

She would need a lot more of that in months to come for sure since the year gone by was just about okay for her. While 'Desi Boyz' did an average business at the box office, 'Aarakshan' couldn't sustain beyond a good start. What worked for Deepika though was some all around appreciation that she received for both the films that presented her in a glam and Plain Jane avtar respectively. However what really got her into limelight was her item number in 'Dum Maaro Dum' which got her bouquets as well as brickbats but was one of the most played songs in the New Year parties across the country.

With promise of some glamorous outings in months to come, Deepika is now looking forward to her newer set of films, starting with 'Cocktail'.

It is great to be paired with Saif again after 'Love Aaj Kal' and 'Aarakshan'. Also, I love the way director Homi Adajania (of 'Being Cyrus' fame) explains the scenes and then cans the shots. He is really innovative and 'Cocktail' - though it is not really the final title at least as of now - is an altogether different experience that would surprise the audience. As for 'Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani', I am just waiting to begin the shoot with Ranbir (Kapoor) and Ayan (Mukherjee). We begin shooting on 1st March and the film should hopefully release by end of year. Around the same time 'Race 2' should also release, Deepika details her plans.