Even almost 19 years later, one can’t forget the first time Deepika Padukone appeared on the big screen in a Bollywood film. Even Shah Rukh Khan, playing junior artiste Om Makhija in Farah Khan’s 2007 blockbuster reincarnation saga Om Shanti Om, was awestruck as Deepika walked the red carpet as ace yesteryear actor Shantipriya in her first Hindi film. But not too many remember that it wasn’t her first-ever film. She’d already delivered a hit on her home turf of Bengaluru with Indrajit Lankesh’s 2006 Kannada romantic drama Aishwarya, where she played the titular role.
How Deepika Padukone landed her first film Aishwarya
“She’s not just a superstar, she’s still the no 1 actress, the highest paid actress in India now. I’m proud to say that,” said Lankesh on a recent podcast. “Of course, she had the charisma. When I looked at her, I could feel that her presence in itself was so engaging. When I was a young boy, I used to play badminton with her. She was an amazing badminton player. She was playing for the state. She was very focused,” he recalled.
Deepika’s father Prakash Padukone is a legendary badminton player, who also wanted his elder daughter to follow in his footsteps. While Deepika was training for that, little did she know that life would take her elsewhere. “When I became a director, I suddenly saw her in a fashion show. And the next day, I saw her still in a leading magazine. Then I was very shocked, what a transformation from a badminton player to a supermodel,” Indrajit Lankesh said on Hindi Rush’s YouTube channel.
Recounting that Deepika Padukone was 5’9, had an “amazing sports body”, “beautiful eyes”, and “a pan-Indian face”, Lankesh said she was exactly the girl he was looking for in his directorial Aishwarya. Before giving it any second thoughts, he called her up and eventually met her in Mumbai, where she was accompanied by her then-manager Pooja Dadlani, who is now the manager of Shah Rukh Khan.
“Pooja Dadlani was a friend and manager. She was managing Deepika even before she came to the industry. In fact, a lot of the success of Deepika Padukone should go to Pooja Dadlani. We know that today, Pooja Dadlani is Shah Rukh Khan’s woman Friday today,” said the filmmaker. Deepika signed Aishwarya after just a one-line narration, given Indrajit’s previous directorial, 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 title role. It played in theatres for 50 days. There were big hoardings everywhere, and articles in Hindi newspapers. In fact, Shah Rukh Khan had visited Bengaluru for an event then. When a journalist asked him about Aishwarya, Shah Rukh Khan, being witty and with his sense of humour, just said, ‘I came to know it’s a big hit. That means I’ll have to pay her more.’ I was there as a journalist. I was laughing,” recalled the journalist-turned-filmmaker.
Deepika Padukone made her Bollywood debut with Om Shanti Om (Photo: Deepika Padukone/Instagram)
“She didn’t look back. She was so focused and passionate, of course, just like her dad was on the badminton court. The passion and wanting to win came from her dad. So, there was Om Shanti Om and Bachna Ae Haseeno,” said Lankesh.
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Deepika Padukone’s growth is a ‘case study’
“It’s easy to say now. Nobody will believe me, but she was a star from day 1,” claimed Indrajit Lankesh. “There are some people who are actors, and some are stars. Like Rajinikanth is a superstar. From her presence on day 1, I could feel that Deepika is a star. That’s the reason of course Shah Rukh, a big superstar, took a new talent like her. He’d seen something in her. That’s what I saw in her first film, when I introduced her,” he added.
“Coming from Bengaluru into Mumbai, it’s an ocean. Proving her talent, and even today, to be no 1, it’s a big case study. Of course, you have to be focused, handle your PR in a big way, and pick the right movies. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. That’s what Deepika is. When the going got tough, she did a Cocktail, which was a tough role,” said Lankesh, referring to Homi Adajania’s 2009 rom-com which reimagined her as Veronica. “She came back with her second innings and gave superhits,” added the filmmaker.
Deepika Padukone on day 1 of her debut film
Indrajit Lankesh also recounted Deepika Padukone’s “intimidating” experience of working with child artiste Kishan, who played her brother, in Aishwarya. He was a seasoned child actor, having done 40 films, and was completely well-versed with technical aspects of filmmaking like blocking and camera angles. “When she had her first scene with him on her first day, her facial muscles started to operate. And as a director, I saw that,” recalled the filmmaker.
“My job as a director was to make a new actor comfortable on the first day, and then she’d get comfortable with the camera and lights. How much ever experience you’ve had as a model, as an actor, it’s a different ballgame. To remember your lines and say them while remaining in character is quite tough. I kept it light for her the first day, but as soon as she realised that this is acting, she said, ‘I’d nail it.’ And she didn’t look back,” said Lankesh.
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After holding her own in front of Upendra in Aishwarya and Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om, Deepika Padukone went on to star 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), Pathaan, Jawan (2023), and Kalki 2898 AD (2024). She’ll be next seen opposite Shah Rukh in King and opposite Allu Arjun in Atlee’s action film Raaka.
Deepika Padukone made her Bollywood debut with Om Shanti Om (Photo: Deepika Padukone/Instagram)
When Shah Rukh Khan reacted to Deepika Padukone's debut Kannada film Aishwarya becoming a hit.