Happy Birthday Deepika Padukone: Here are 5 highlights of her career
Mumbai: Deepika Padukone is one of the most inspiring people Bollywood has. Her journey towards stardom, similar to Priyanka Chopra, is commendable. Of course Dippy has a different journey altogether, but it too is inspiring, nonetheless. Here are 5 highlights of her career that made Deepika Padukone who she is today:
1. From a Kingfisher model to a glimpse in a music video to the grand Bollywood launch with SRK.
Deepika Padukone must be both hardworking and lucky. She was a Kingfisher model in 2006, where she rose to fame and appeared in Himesh Reshammiya’s music video ‘Naam Hai Tera’. What was to come next? Deepika started prepping up for an acting career, got cast in a movie down south, ‘Aishwarya’ which became a superhit. Then, after refusing Salman Khan, she went on to make her Bollywood debut with Farah Khan’s Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Om Shanti Om’. And from there on began the journey of Bollywood’s Queen.
2. The Lull phase
The journey, like most others, wasn’t a smooth one for Deepika either. In spite of getting a dreamy launch, she went through a lull phase in her career. From 2009 (‘Chandni Chowk To China’) to doing films like ‘Lafangey Parindey’ and ‘Kartik Calling Kartik’ in 2010 and 2011, Deepika was failing miserably to make a mark in Bollywood. A ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’, a ‘Love Aaj Kal’ and a ‘Housefull’ didn’t help boost the actress’ career either.
3. The change and rise of Deepika Padukone
2012 was the year people saw a completely changed Deepika Padukone. 2012 also happens to be the year when Homi Adajania’s ‘Cocktail’ gave the world Veronica. What was to happen next? Some landmark movies for Deepika Padukone, what else? In 2013, Deepika scored four 100-crore club films – ‘Race 2’, ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’, ‘Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ramleela’ and ‘Chennai Express’. She then went on to do more landmark films like ‘Piku’ and ‘Bajirao Mastani’, which only strengthened her base in Bollywood. In today’s times, Deepika is the poster face for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s next movie ‘Padmavat’. Just for the record, this is her third movie with Sanjay, so will it be right to say she has turned his muse? Maybe.
4. The setback and the bounce back in her personal life, leading to a successful woman
Along with a professional setback, Deepika was also going through a low phase in her personal life. But that only seems to have worked in her favour. People could feel Deepika’s pain in her characters in ‘Love Aaj Kal’ and ‘Cocktail’ post her public and sad break-up with Ranbir Kapoor. The connectivity factor brought Deepika’s fans closer to her. Deepika was even reportedly dating Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Sidharth Mallya, but nobody came close to her bonding like Ranbir’s. Post pairing up with Ranveer Singh in 3 movies now, the couple is said to have come closer than ever. Today Ranbir and Deepika have worked in 2 films post break-up and Ranbir, Ranveer and Deepika are on cordial terms.
Deepika was also amongst the first celebrities to openly speak about depression. She shocked everyone with the statement, because nobody could imagine someone as successful as Deepika being depressed. She even opened her own NGO called ‘Live, Love, Laugh’ and has her own clothing brand ‘All About You’. Women empowerment, you say?
5. The Hollywood stint
Post working in ‘Bajirao Mastani’ together, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone were the only two top-notch actresses who dared to step into Hollywood and at least begin to make some mark for themselves out there. PeeCee was also doing a lot of music videos with artists and also working on the TV sitcom ‘Quantico’. Dippy, on the other hand, made her Cannes red carpet debut last year and impressed quite a few. Priyanka worked in ‘Baywatch’ with Dwayne Johnson and Deepika opted for ‘xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage’ with Vin Diesel. Both the actresses had a significant role to play in their movies, thus making India proud of their stint. Dippy even managed to bring Vin to India and make him experience the Indian culture.
