The rise of Deepika Padukone: From model to glam star and actress

Deepika Padukone’s Tamasha hits the screens today and expectations are high. Her last outing, Piku, won her much praise for her effortless performance. The actress who began her life in showbiz on the catwalk has come a long way since Om Shanti Om. We trace her remarkable career through its hits and misses as she scaled the ladder to make a serious claim to being one of Bollywood’s best actresses:

A dream debut

Shah Rukh Khan as hero in a mega-budget film by Farah Khan. Deepika couldn’t have asked for a better launch vehicle than Om Shanti Om in 2007. The film was a hit and while Deepika was lauded, it was her grace and pretty looks, rather than her acting that grabbed attention. The previous year she had starred in the Kannada film Aishwarya in which, too, she looked lovely, but failed to impress with her acting.

Gorgeous, but no acting awards yet

After Om Shanti Om, Deepika was seen in Bachna Ae Haseeno and the somewhat absurd Chandni Chowk to China. These films were followed by Love Aaj Kal, Karthik Calling Karthik and Lafangey Parindey and Deepika established herself as one of Bollywood’s leading stars. Still, she wasn’t quite wowing the crowd with her acting. As it happened, her much-publicised affair with Ranbir Kapoor seemed to overshadow her work during this phase.

A breakthrough

Getting herself together again after her break-up with Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika appeared determined to become numero uno. She began with Homi Adajania’s Cocktail, playing a sassy material girl. Her acting and not just her hot bod and pretty face became talking points.

Reigning over B-Town

2013 was Deepika Padukone’s year. With Race 2, in which she exuded glamour, and Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, in which she teamed up with her ex, Ranbir, to play a reserved, held-back young woman, Deepika moved into the Rs 100 crore-club. Deepika was on a roll and also starred in the year’s two other blockbusters, Chennai Express, and Goliyon ki Rasleela Ram Leela. South Indians weren’t terribly impressed with her Tamil girl act in Chennai Express, but the critics were pleased and in Ram Leela her amazing chemistry with co-actor and real life beau Ranveer Singh came in for comment.

Ready to experiment

After making her mark in Bollywood’s full-on commercial projects, Deepika displayed her inclination to experiment and starred in Finding Fanny, in which she played a Goan girl most convincingly. She followed that up with Farah Khan’s Happy New Year, which also went on to become a hit.

From star to actress

With her latest release, Piku, Deepika has established without a doubt that she’s an actress to reckon with. Next up, she’ll be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani, a period piece.

Shy girl turns tough woman

Deepika Padukone’s off-screen personality has also changed as her career progressed. Once socially awkward – by her own admission – she’s now ready to speak up and even take on the media. When The Times of India, ran an old photo of hers and drew attention to her cleavage she wrote a hard-hitting open letter condemning the sensationalism. More recently, she’s come out in the open to speak about her battle with depression, finding resonance with thousands who also face the condition.

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