A Dazzling Smile & The Spirit of A Warrior: Deepika Padukone

2 years ago / by Team SEEMA
Deepika Padukone
mage credits: Gulf News

Deepika Padukone is a multi-talented actor, producer, and model. She is India’s highest-paid actress, owns three Filmfare awards, and was named by Time as one of the world’s 100 most important people in 2018. In a few years, she managed to capture the hearts of millions with her dazzling smile and phenomenal acting skills.  Keep reading to learn all about Deepika Padukone.

Deepika Padukone
Image credits: IMDb

Early Life  

Padukone was born on January 5, 1986, in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Konkani-speaking parents from a Saraswat Brahmin family. Prakash Padukone, her father, is a former professional badminton player, and Ujjala, her mother, is a travel agent. ] Anisha, her younger sister, is a golfer. Ramesh, her paternal grandfather, was the secretary of the Mysore Badminton Association.

Padukone’s family moved to Bangalore, India when he was a year old. She attended Sophia High School in Bangalore and Mount Carmel College for her pre-university studies. She later enrolled at the Indira Gandhi National Open University to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology but dropped out owing to schedule problems with her modeling job.

Thriving As A Model

Under the guidance of Prasad Bidapa, she started a full-time modeling career in 2004. Padukone rose to prominence early in her career after appearing in a television commercial for the soap Liril and modeling for a variety of other brands and goods. In 2005, she made her runway debut for designer Suneet Varma at Lakme Fashion Week and was named “Model of the Year” at the Kingfisher Fashion Awards.

Padukone rose to prominence after appearing in a very successful print campaign for the 2006 Kingfisher Calendar. She came to popularity the following year after appearing in the music video for Himesh Reshammiya’s song “Naam Hai Tera.”

Becoming The Leading Lady

Padukone announced her cinematic debut in 2006 with Aishwarya, a Kannada film directed by Indrajit Lankesh.   The romantic comedy was a remake of the Telugu film Manmadhudu, and she played the title character opposite Upendra. The movie was a commercial success.

She made her Bollywood debut when Shahrukh Khan cast Padukone in the melodrama Om Shanti Om in 207). Om Shanti Om was a commercial triumph, becoming the year’s highest-grossing picture. Padukone next appeared in Yash Raj Films’ romantic comedy Bachna Ae Haseeno as one of Ranbir Kapoor’s love interests (2008).

Deepika Padukone
Image credits: Gulf News

Deepika became the nation’s darling after Love Aaj Kal, following a few failures like Chandni Chowk To China and an item song in Billu. She experienced another low point in her career after delivering mediocre performances in failed films such as Karthik Calling Karthik, Lafangey Parindey, and Break Ke Baad. The 2012 hit Cocktail, on the other hand, was a watershed moment in Deepika’s career. Filmfare’s Devesh Sharma praised her as the “spirit of the picture,” writing that she “excels in every moment.”

Padukone established herself as a prominent actress of Hindi film in 2013 by appearing in four of the year’s highest-grossing movies, and she has delivered blockbuster successes every year since. Race 2, Yeh Jawaani Hai Dewaani, Chennai Express, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Tamasha, and Bajirao Mastani are a few examples.

Furthermore, Padukone’s first Hollywood assignment was the action thriller XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017), in which she portrayed the main female character of Serena Unger alongside Vin Diesel.

Deepika in the Role of Producer

Image credits: rediff

In 2018, she established her own business, Ka Productions. Her first foray into producing was Chhapaak (2020), a Meghna Gulzar drama in which she played an acid assault victim (based on Laxmi Agarwal). Padukone’s next project will be 83, a sports film on India’s World Cup triumph in 1983 starring Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev, in which she will also play Dev’s wife, Romi.

Personal Life

Padukone has a strong relationship with her family and pays frequent trips to them in her birthplace of Bangalore. Padukone started a romantic relationship with co-star Ranbir Kapoor while shooting Bachna Ae Haseeno in 2008, but the pair split up a year later.

Padukone then remained cautious about discussing her personal life, but in 2017, she talked warmly about her relationship with her frequent co-star Ranveer Singh, whom she started seeing in 2012. The pair married at Lake Como, Italy, in traditional Konkani and Sindhi rituals in November 2018.

Deepika Padukone
Image credits: Vogue

The Foundation for Live, Love, and Laughter

Deepika Padukone was diagnosed with depression in 2014. Following her diagnosis, she realized that there was a stigma associated with mental health problems in India, making it difficult for people in need of counseling or treatment to get assistance. In 2015, she founded The Live Love Laugh Foundation as a result of her experience.

TLLLF has run school-based mental health awareness programs for preteens and teenagers, supported a rural mental health program that provides free mental health care, medication, ongoing psychiatric treatment, and vocational training, and launched two national campaigns to raise mental health awareness. The latter campaign, dubbed “Not Ashamed,” spawned a hashtag that is still used by individuals sharing their experiences about mental health and well-being today.

Deepika Padukone
Image credits: News Mobile

FAQs About Deepika Padukone

Who is Deepika Padukone’s husband?

In 2018, Deepika Padukone married famous Bollywood actor, Ranveer Singh.

Where is Deepika Padukone originally from?

Deepika is from Bengaluru, and she moved to Mumbai to pursue her modeling and acting career.

How old is Deepika Padukone?

Born on 5th January 1986, Deepika Padukone is currently 35 years.

Did Deepika Padukone attend law school?

No, Deepika hasn’t attended law school.

What is Deepika Padukone’s net worth?

Duff & Phelps estimated Deepika’s brand value to be US$102.5 million, in 2018, the second-highest of Indian celebrities.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this comprehensive bio on Deepika Padukone and were inspired by her spirit to always stand for what’s right and will to stand tall and dominate in a patriarchal society. To learn more about other notable personalities, keep reading Seema.