Fondly called the ‘Queen of hearts’, superstar Deepika Padukone turned 36 on Wednesday.
Born in Denmark to the famous badminton player Prakash Padukone, the actor, who was raised in Bangalore, has managed to leave a strong imprint of her persona with her grace, dedication towards her work, and her humility.
Promising her fans a maverick surprise each time she hits the public gaze, on and off-screen, Deepika established herself as one of India’s most bankable stars.
With her impeccable journey in the cinema industry, she made her way to the international platform and bagged a role in the American action drama ‘xXx: Return of Xander Cage’.
Following the success of her critically and commercially hit film ‘Padmaavat’, Deepika took some time off work to focus on her home and family. In 2018, she formed her own company, named Ka Productions. Her first production venture came with ‘Chhapaak’ (2020), a drama by Meghna Gulzar, in which she starred as an acid attack survivor (based on Laxmi Agarwal).
As the actor turns a year older on Wednesday, let’s revisit some of the diverse character portrayals that Deepika has put in front of the viewers.
1. ‘Om Shanti Om’: Who can forget the gorgeous dimpled millennial star Shanti Priya, clad in the Poppin pink colored saree, waving at her fans? What happened with Shah Rukh Khan as Om at the moment, happens with all of us when we still watch that scene.
This 2007 movie marked the debut of Deepika in Hindi cinema. The film written and directed by Farah Khan and co-written by Mayur Puri and Mushtaq Shiekh starred Deepika as the love interest of Shah Rukh’s character–Om.
The film revolves around the love story of Om, a junior artist in 1977 who has a crush on a secretly-married superstar, Shanti Priya– played by Deepika. Her lover, a producer played by Arjun Rampal, kills her in a fire; Om witnesses this and dies from the injuries sustained from trying to rescue her. Reincarnated as a superstar in 2007, he seeks to avenge his love. ‘Om Shanti Om’ won several awards including the National Film Award for Best Production Design.
