Even after almost 19 years, it is impossible to forget the first time Deepika Padukone appeared on the big screen in a Bollywood film. Even Shah Rukh Khan, who played junior artist Om Mahija in the reincarnation saga of Farah Khan’s 2007 blockbuster Om Shanti Om, was amazed when Deepika walked the red carpet as the eminent yesteryear actress Shantipriya in her first Hindi film. But few remember that this was not her first film. She had already made a splash in her home turf of Bengaluru with Indrajit Lankesh’s 2006 Kannada romantic drama Aishwarya, in which she played the lead role.
“She’s not just a superstar, she’s still the number one actress, the highest paid actress in India at the moment. I’m proud to say that,” Lankesh said in a recent podcast. “Of course, she had charisma. When I looked at her, I felt that her presence in itself was so attractive. When I was a little boy, I played badminton with her. She was an amazing badminton player. She played for the state. She was very focused,” he recalled.
Deepika’s father Prakash Padukone is a legendary badminton player who also wanted his eldest daughter to follow in his footsteps. While Deepika was preparing for this, she had no idea that life would take her to another place. “When I became a director, I suddenly saw her at a fashion show. And the next day I saw her in a leading magazine. Then I was very shocked at the transformation from a badminton player to a supermodel,” said Indrajit Lankesh on the YouTube channel Hindi Rush.
Recalling that Deepika Padukone was 5 feet 9 inches tall and had a “stunning athletic body”, “beautiful eyes” and a “pan-Indian face”, Lankesh said she was exactly the girl he was looking for in his directorial Aishwarya. Before he thought about it, he called her and eventually met her in Mumbai, where she was accompanied by her then manager Pooja Dadlani, who is now Shah Rukh Khan’s manager.
“Pooja Dadlani was a friend and a manager. She managed Deepika even before she came into the industry. In fact, most of Deepika Padukone’s success should go to Pooja Dadlani. We know that today Pooja Dadlani is Shah Rukh Khan’s woman on Friday,” the director said. Deepika signed Aishwarya after just a one-line narration, given that Indrajith’s previous directorial, the 2004 Kannada romantic drama Monalisa, was a silver jubilee hit.
How Aishwarya’s success led to Om Shanti Om
“Aishwarya was a big hit with Deepika Padukone in the lead role. It played in theaters for 50 days. There were big billboards everywhere and articles in Hindi newspapers. In fact, Shah Rukh Khan then visited Bangalore for an event. When a journalist asked him about Aishwarya, Shah Rukh Khan, being witty and with his sense of humor, simply said, “I came to know that it is a big success. This means I will have to pay her more.” I was there as a journalist. I laughed,โ recalled the journalist-turned-director.
Deepika Padukone made her Bollywood debut with Om Shanti Om (Photo: Deepika Padukone/Instagram)
“She didn’t look back. Of course, she was so focused and passionate, just like her father was on the badminton court. The passion and desire to win came from her father. So there was Om Shanti Om and Bachna Aye Hasino,” Lankesh said.
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“It’s easy to say now. Nobody will believe me, but she was a star from day one,” said Indrajit Lankesh. “There are people who are actors and some are stars. For example, Rajinikanth is a superstar. From her presence on the first day, I felt that Deepika is a star. Of course, this is the reason why Shah Rukh, a big superstar, took on a new talent like her. He saw something in her. That’s what I saw in her first film when I introduced her,” he added.
“Coming from Bangalore to Mumbai is an ocean. Proving your talent and even today being number one is a big example. Of course, you have to be focused, take your PR seriously and choose the right films. When the going gets tough, the hard part comes. That’s what Deepika is. When the going got tough, she did Cocktail and it was a tough role,” Lankesh said, referring to Homi Adajania. A 2009 rom-com in which she was reimagined as Veronica. โShe came back with her second innings and gave super hits,โ the director added.
Deepika Padukone on the first day of her debut film
Indrajit Lankesh also spoke about Deepika Padukone’s “frightening” experience of working with child artiste Kishan, who played her brother in Aishwarya. He was an accomplished child actor, having appeared in 40 films, and had an excellent understanding of the technical aspects of filmmaking, such as blocking and camera angles. โWhen she had her first scene with him on the first day, her facial muscles began to work. And as a director, I saw this,โ the director recalled.
“My job as a director was to make sure a new actress felt comfortable on her first day, and then she got comfortable with the camera and the lights. Whatever experience you have as a model or an actor, it’s a whole different game. Memorizing your lines and delivering them while staying in character is quite difficult. On the first day, I tried not to make it difficult for her, but once she realized it was acting, she said, ‘I could do it.’ And she hasn’t looked back.” said Lankesh.
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After holding her own against Upendra in Aishwarya and Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om, Deepika Padukone has starred in hits like Love Aaj Kal (2009), Housefull (2010), Desi Boyz (2011), Race 2 (2012), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Chennai Express, Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ram-Leela (2013), Happy New Year (2014), Piku, Bajirao Mastani (2015), Padmaavat (2018), Pataan, Jawan (2023) and Kalki 2898 AD. (2024). She will next be seen opposite Shah Rukh in The King and Allu Arjun in Atlee’s action thriller Raaka.