Sharing screen space with Shah Rukh Khan is probably the dream of most actors in Bollywood but getting to do this in your very first film is probably the biggest achievement one can boast of. Deepika Padukone who started her Bollywood career with SRK in Farah Khan’s directorial Om Shanti Om was one lucky girl. Not only did she get a dream debut but a well-etched out character as well. The film went on to become a huge box office hit and Deepika got her big ticket to Bollywood and the film industry got its current reigning queen.
In the 11 years that Deepika has worked in the industry, she has become a force to be reckoned with and is one of the highest-paid actresses in the film industry today. Deepika dedicates all her success to her debut film and in a recent interaction, she clearly said so. She said that Om Shanti Om changed her life forever. She said, “Om Shanti Om put me on the map. It changed my life overnight. When I left Mumbai for the world premiere, people viewed me very differently. The minute I landed at immigration, I realized my life had changed.”
[caption id="attachment_158813" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in Om Shanti Om[/caption]
During the interview she was asked what worked in her favour as she was a rank outsider, Deepika said, “It was a combination of being at the right place at the right time, talent, hard work, dedication, and sacrifices." She said that luck and opportunity play an important role in the industry. She said, “The fact that I moved to Mumbai, the fact that I had Anila Anand in my life who encouraged me and pushed me in that direction or Atul Kasbekar was the first person to speak to my parents to ask me to move to Mumbai. Spotting the talent and coming on as my agent at that time.”
[caption id="attachment_128625" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
Farah Khan and Deepika Padukone[/caption]
Deepika also credited her director Farah for choosing her and SRK for taking the risk of creating a film with a debutante. She said, “Farah making Om Shanti Om at that time, wanting to cast a newcomer at that time. She could have chosen to cast an established actress but she chose to go with a newcomer. She came across the ad I had done and decided that I was perfect for the role. She didn't know who I was. She purely saw me in these couples of ad campaigns, took it Shah Rukh who was willing to take that risk."
Deepika after her dream debut never looked back and through her hard work, grit and determination ensured that filmmakers were willing to place their bets on her.
.jpg)
.jpg)
