Deepika Padukone always wanted to take up modelling professionally. (Photo: Express Archive)
Daughter of badminton player Prakash Padukone, actor Deepika Padukone was herself a national-level player, before her interest in modelling weaned her away from the sport. Even as a model, Deepika was highly regarded and videos and photos from her initial modelling days often go viral on social media.
Deepika, who turns 38 today, however, was allowed to pursue modelling by her parents on one condition. The actor herself revealed in an old video that she was told that she needs to finish her graduation before she could take to the catwalk.
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In an old clip, Deepikacan be seen giving a small media byte before a fashion show. “I started modelling about a year back. I wanted to take up modelling professionally, but my parents told me that they would allow me to do it only after my graduation. But the offers kept pouring in and I couldn’t resist, so I started after my 12th. I took a three-month break for my board exams because it’s such a major thing. And after that modelling happened, so I never got back to it,” shared Deepika in the video.
The clip shows Deepika walking the ramp when fashion designer Ranna Gill says, “She’s 19, very beautiful.” A voiceover then said, “No other model has captured the imagination of the industry like this teenager from Bangalore (Bengaluru).”
Fashion designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh was also seen talking about Deepika and saying, “Love the way she carried our clothes. She has got a great attitude and is very happy to wear anything.” Nadine of Mac Cosmetics also said about a young Deepika in the same clip, “She’s very sweet, but she’s a vixen. So she’s very beautiful, but there is still something very fierce about her.”
Deepika shot to fame with a print campaign for Kingfisher Calendar, and at the age of 21, she moved to Mumbai to pursue a career in the entertainment world. Deepika’s runway debut was in 2005 at the Lakme Fashion Week, where she walked the ramp for designer Suneet Varma.
Deepika got recognised for her television commercial for the soap Liril. She also modelled for various other brands and products.
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Deepika Padukone left her flourishing modelling career and stepped into the world of cinema with Kannada film Aishwarya (2006). Her Bollywood debut was Om Shanti Om (2007), alongside Shah Rukh Khan.
Kriti works as a Copy Editor for the Entertainment section of Indian Express Online (Indianexpress.com). She is great at web stories, galleries, and Express Archive's photo stories. She is good at spotting stories from social media posts. She makes the copies well-loaded with content, photos, tweets, and other related social media posts to make it interesting for the readers. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, Chennai (Specialization in New Media), Kriti has been a part of the organisation since November 2015. She took a transfer from Delhi to Bengaluru in April 2017. ... Read More