Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone (pronounced [d̪iːpɪkaː pəɖʊkoːɳ]; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian film actress and model. One of the most popular and highest-paid Indian celebrities, she has established a career in Bollywood films, and is the recipient of two Filmfare Awards.
Padukone, the daughter of the badminton player Prakash Padukone, was born in Copenhagen and raised in Bangalore. As a teenager she played badminton in national level championships, but left her career in sport to become a fashion model. She soon received offers for film roles, and made her acting debut in 2006 as the titular character of the Kannada film Aishwarya. Padukone then played dual roles in her first Bollywood release—the 2007 blockbuster Om Shanti Om—and won a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Padukone received praise for portraying the lead female roles in the romance Love Aaj Kal (2009) and the drama Lafangey Parindey (2010), but her performances in the romantic comedy Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008) and the comedy Housefull (2010) met with negative reviews.
The 2012 box office hit Cocktail marked a turning point in Padukone's career, earning her critical acclaim and Best Actress nominations at several award ceremonies. She went on to star in the comedies Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), Chennai Express (2013), and Happy New Year (2014), all of which rank among the highest-grossing Bollywood films. She also garnered praise for her performances in the tragic romance Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013), for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, and the comedy-drama Piku (2015).
Alongside her acting career, Padukone participates in stage shows, has written columns for an Indian newspaper, is a prominent celebrity endorser for brands and products, and is vocal about issues such as feminism and depression. Her off-screen life is the subject of fervent tabloid reporting in India.
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Early life and modelling career
Deepika Padukone was born on 5 January 1986 in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Konkani-speaking parents.[1][2] Her father, Prakash, is a former badminton player of international repute, and her mother, Ujjala, is a travel agent.[3] Her younger sister, Anisha, is a golfer.[4] Her paternal grandfather, Ramesh, was a secretary of the Mysore Badminton Association.[5] The family relocated to Bangalore, India, when Padukone was a year old.[6] She was educated at Bangalore's Sophia High School, and completed her pre-university education at Mount Carmel College.[7] She subsequently enrolled at the Indira Gandhi National Open University for a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology, but later quit it due to scheduling conflicts with her modelling career.[6][8]
Padukone with her parents and sister at the 59th Filmfare Awards in 2014
Early in her career, Padukone gained recognition with a television commercial for the soap Liril, and modelled for various other brands and products.[13][14] In 2005, she made her runway debut at the Lakme Fashion Week for designer Suneet Varma, and won the "Model of the Year" award at the Kingfisher Fashion Awards.[15][16] Padukone's fame increased when she appeared in a highly popular print campaign for the 2006 Kingfisher Calendar;[17] the designer Wendell Rodricks commented, "Since Aishwarya Rai, we haven't had a girl as beautiful and fresh."[18] Rodricks had spotted her at a Ganjam jewellery class he was teaching and signed her up with the Matrix agency.[19] At the age of 21, Padukone relocated to Mumbai and stayed at her aunt's home.[6] That year, she gained wider recognition by featuring in the music video for Himesh Reshammiya's song "Naam Hai Tera."[20]
Padukone soon began to receive offers for film roles.[21] Believing herself to be too inexperienced as an actor, she instead enrolled for a course at Anupam Kher's film academy.[22] Following much media speculation, the director Farah Khan, who had noticed her in Reshammiya's music video, made the decision to cast her for a role in Happy New Year.[6][17]
Acting career
Film debut and breakthrough (2006–09)
Padukone announced in 2006 that she would make her film debut with Aishwarya, a Kannada film directed by Indrajit Lankesh.[17] The romantic comedy was a remake of the Telugu film Manmadhudu, and she was cast in the titular role opposite the actor Upendra. The film proved a major commercial success.[23] RG Vijayasarathy of Rediff.com was appreciative of Padukone's screen presence but added that "she needs to work on her emotional scenes."[24]By the end of 2006, Farah Khan's Happy New Year was shelved, and Khan had instead cast Padukone for the reincarnation melodrama Om Shanti Om (2007).[25] Set against the backdrop of the Hindi film industry, the film tells the story of a struggling actor in the 1970s who dies soon after witnessing the murder of the woman he loved, and is reincarnated to avenge her death. Shah Rukh Khan starred as the protagonist, and Padukone featured in dual roles—Shantipriya, a leading actress of the 1970s, and later as Sandy, an aspiring actress. She said, "I've grown up watching [Shah Rukh] and always admired him so much. To get to work with him ... is quite wonderful. It was also fantastic that Farah showed faith in my talent and cast me opposite him."[26] In preparation for her role, Padukone watched several films of actresses Helen and Hema Malini to study their body language, which she felt "were more graceful" and "completely different from today's actors."[27] However, her voice was dubbed by the voice artist Mona Ghosh Shetty.[28] For one of the songs in the film, "Dhoom Taana,” Padukone drew upon Indian classical dance, and according to Dorling Kindersley, "mesmeriz[ed] audiences" by using hasta mudras (hand gestures).[29] Om Shanti Om was a commercial success, and emerged as the highest grossing film of the year, with a global revenue of ₹1.49 billion (US$22 million).[30] Taran Adarsh of the entertainment portal Bollywood Hungama reviewed, "Deepika has all it takes to be a top star—the personality, the looks and yes, she's supremely talented too. Standing in the same frame as [Shah Rukh] and getting it right is no small achievement. She comes as a whiff of fresh air!"[31] At the annual Filmfare Awards ceremony, Padukone was awarded the Best Female Debut Award and received her first nomination in the Best Actress category.[32]
Padukone at the first look launch of Love Aaj Kal, 2009
Padukone's first release of 2009 came alongside Akshay Kumar in the Nikhil Advani-directed kung fu comedy Chandni Chowk To China, in which she portrayed the dual roles of Indian-Chinese twin sisters Sakhi and Suzy. Produced by Warner Bros., it had one of the widest international releases ever given to an Indian film.[36] Padukone learned the Japanese martial art form of jujutsu, and performed her stunts without the use of a body double.[37][38] Despite the hype, Chandni Chowk To China proved a major financial failure with worldwide earnings of ₹554.7 million (US$8.4 million) on a budget of ₹800 million (US$12 million).[39][40] Film critics were generally disappointed with the picture and Padukone's performance;[41] Justin Trout of Orlando Weekly noted that she "is so wasted in Chandni Chowk, my mind often wandered back to Om Shanti Om during her scenes, possibly as a defense mechanism."[42]
That same year, Padukone featured in an item number (for a song called "Love Mera Hit Hit") in the drama Billu,[43] following which she appeared alongside Saif Ali Khan in the romantic drama Love Aaj Kal from the writer-director Imtiaz Ali. The film documented the changing value of relationships among the youth, and had Padukone play the part of Meera Pandit, a head-strong career woman. With a worldwide gross of ₹1.2 billion (US$18 million), Love Aaj Kal proved to be the third highest-grossing film of 2009.[30] Aniruddha Guha of Daily News and Analysis said that Padukone "delivers the best of her four performances so far" and Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India mentioned her as "definitive and strong."[44][45] At the 55th Filmfare Awards Padukone received a nomination for Best Actress.[46]
Career struggles (2010–11)
Padukone had five film releases in 2010. Her first role was in Vijay Lalwani's psychological thriller Karthik Calling Karthik, where Padukone was cast as the supportive girlfriend of a depressed man (played by Farhan Akhtar) who goes through a series of changes after receiving mysterious phone calls every morning. Derek Elley of Variety found the film to be "thinly plotted" but added that "the uncomplicated ingenuousness of Padukone ... helps make the tall tale convincing."[47] Commercially, the film performed poorly.[48] Her most economically profitable film that year was Sajid Khan's ₹1.15 billion (US$17 million)-grossing comedy film Housefull in which she featured alongside an ensemble cast including Akshay Kumar, Ritesh Deshmukh, Lara Dutta, Arjun Rampal, Jiah Khan and Boman Irani.[30] Raja Sen described the film as a "festival of bad acting" and attributed Padukone's poor performance to her "plasticky expressions."[49]
Padukone at a promotional event for Lafangey Parindey, 2010
Padukone's final release of 2010 was Ashutosh Gowarikar's period film Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey opposite Abhishek Bachchan. Based on the book Do and Die by Manini Chatterjee, the film is a retelling of the 1930 Chittagong armoury raid.[54] Bachchan featured as the revolutionary leader Surya Sen and Padukone played Kalpana Dutta, his confidante.[55] Padukone said that she did not research for the role as there were "hardly ... any reference points as to what Kalpana looked like other than a few photos," and relied completely on Gowarikar's direction.[56] A review published in The Telegraph was appreciative of Padukone's portrayal, and the film received a generally positive critical reception.[57][58] Despite this, it proved a major commercial disappointment.[59]
Padukone began 2011 with an item number in Rohan Sippy's Dum Maaro Dum. The song was a remixed version of the iconic song "Dum Maro Dum," from the 1971 film Hare Rama Hare Krishna, which featured Zeenat Aman.[60] Padukone referred to it as "the wildest song any actress has done;" the song's "suggestive lyrics" and "raunchy moves" attracted controversy including a court case for indecency.[61][62] Her next film was Prakash Jha's socio-political drama Aarakshan, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Bajpayee and Prateik Babbar, which dealt with the political issue of caste-based reservations in India. Trade journalists had high expectations for the film which ultimately flopped at the box office.[63][64] Critical reaction was largely negative, though Pratim D. Gupta mentioned Padukone as the most "refreshing thing about [the] movie."[65][66] Her final appearance that year was in Rohit Dhawan's comedy-drama Desi Boyz alongside Akshay Kumar, John Abraham and Chitrangada Singh, a role that failed to propel her career forward.[67][68] The series of poorly received films led critics to perceive that Padukone had "[lost] her sparkle."[69]
Cocktail and success (2012–13)
Padukone promoting Race 2 on Nach Baliye in 2013
In 2013, Padukone established herself as a leading actress of contemporary Hindi cinema by featuring in four of the top-grossing productions of the year.[30][79] She collaborated with Saif Ali Khan for the fourth time (alongside John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez, Ameesha Patel, and Anil Kapoor) in Abbas-Mustan's Race 2, an ensemble action thriller that served as a sequel to the 2008 film Race. The film received predominantly negative reviews from critics,[80] but with a total collection of ₹1.62 billion (US$24 million), it proved to be a commercial success.[81][82] In a particularly scathing review, Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV wrote that both Padukone and Fernandez "strut around like wound-up automatons that are all decked-up but have nowhere to go."[83]
Ayan Mukerji's romantic comedy Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani was Padukone's next film release. Co-starring alongside Ranbir Kapoor, Kalki Koechlin, and Aditya Roy Kapoor, she was cast as Naina Talwar, a "shy wallflower," which marked a departure from the glamorous characters that she had a reputation for portraying.[84] Film critics praised Padukone's performance, though their response to the film was mixed.[85][86] Raja Sen thought that the film "lacked a good story" but added that Padukone "acts within herself and eschews exaggeration, and the results are impressive ... This may be her most self-aware performance so far".[87] The pairing of Padukone with her former boyfriend was highly anticipated,[88] and the film proved a major success with a worldwide revenue of ₹3.02 billion (US$46 million).[81][89] Her next appearance was opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rohit Shetty's action-comedy film Chennai Express. She played Meenalochini Azhagusundaram, a Tamil girl on the run from her father (a local don), which required that she adopt a Tamil accent. Critical opinion on her accent was mixed,[90] but her performance received praise;[85] film critic Aseem Chhabra concluded, "Padukone is delightful in the film—beautiful, smiling, and often a lot more playful and funny than Khan."[91] Chennai Express was Padukone's second consecutive release to earn over ₹3 billion (US$45 million) in worldwide ticket sales; both Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Chennai Express rank among the highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time.[81][92]
Padukone at a screening of Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela in 2013. She was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film
2014–present
In 2014, Padukone featured opposite Rajinikanth in the Tamil film Kochadaiiyaan, a period drama that was shot using motion capture technology.[102] In Homi Adajania's widely praised satire Finding Fanny, Padukone played a young widow who takes a road trip with her dysfunctional friends (played by Arjun Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia and Pankaj Kapur) in search of a woman named Fanny.[103] The film was screened at the 19th Busan International Film Festival;[104] critic Anuj Kumar of The Hindu wrote that Padukone successfully "takes off the fineries of Bollywood and you can sense the freedom from baggage in her performance".[105] Farah Khan's renewal of Happy New Year saw Padukone work with Shah Rukh Khan for the third time. She played a bar dancer who trains a group of underachievers for a dance competition. Rajeev Masand wrote that she "strikes the right balance between broad humor and heartfelt emotion, giving us another winning character",[106] though Sanjukta Sharma of Mint was more critical of her performance, and found her role to be of minimal importance that required her only to be "a pretty thing to be laughed at and pitied".[107] The film earned over ₹1.75 billion (US$26 million) in India, emerging a major financial success.[108]Following an appearance in an online video on feminism, entitled My Choice, under the direction of Homi Adajania,[109] Padukone took on the role of a Bengali architect who cares for her hypochondriac father (played by Amitabh Bachchan) in Shoojit Sircar's comedy-drama Piku (2015). Reviews for the film were positive;[110] Tanmaya Nanda of Business Standard praised the film for its feminist tone, and wrote that Padukone proves "what she is capable of when given something more to do than look pretty and be the crazy-dance girl at parties".[111] NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee opined that she "holds Piku together with a restrained star turn".[112] With a worldwide gross of over ₹1.40 billion (US$21 million), the film emerged as a box office hit.[113]
As of August 2015, Padukone has completed work for Imtiaz Ali's Tamasha, a romantic drama opposite Ranbir Kapoor.[114] She is currently filming Sanjay Leela Bhansali's historical romance Bajirao Mastani, in which she plays Mastani opposite Ranveer Singh's Baji Rao I and Priyanka Chopra's Kashibai.[115]
Personal life and off-screen work
Padukone with Ranbir Kapoor at a promotional event for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani in 2013
While filming Bachna Ae Haseeno in 2008, Padukone began a romantic relationship with co-star Ranbir Kapoor.[122] She spoke openly about the relationship and sported a tattoo of his initials on the nape of her neck.[123] She has said that the relationship had a profound effect on her, transforming her into a more confident and social person.[6] The Indian media speculated on an engagement, and reported that this had occurred in November 2008, although Padukone had stated that she had no plans to marry within the next five years.[124] The couple broke up a year later;[125] she professed in an interview to feeling "angry" and "betrayed" for a long time, but insisted that they remained on good terms.[6] In a 2010 interview, Padukone made a comment that the media speculated was a reference to her break-up with Kapoor:[126]
The first time he cheated on me, I thought there was something wrong with me or the relationship, but when someone makes a habit of it, you know the problem lies with him. Yet I was foolish enough to give him a second chance because he begged and pleaded, despite the fact that everyone around me said he was still straying. I guess I really wanted to believe in him. Then I actually caught him red-handed. It took me a while to get out. But having done that, nothing can make me go back. That ship has sailed.[127]
Padukone performing at the "SLAM! The Tour" concert in 2014
In 2011, a set of pictures showing Padukone kissing the cricket manager Siddharth Mallya at an Indian Premier League match were made available on the web.[130] This led to wide speculation in the media about the nature of their relationship,[131] which Padukone declined to talk about publicly. The following year there were reports about a break-up, to which she said: "Just because we are not seen together, it doesn't mean that we are not friends anymore."[132] She has since denied reports of other link-ups, stating that she is "not in a frame of mind to be in a relationship."[133]
In addition to acting, Padukone has written opinion columns and has been involved with women's health and fitness magazines. She has also supported charitable organisations, and has performed for stage shows. In 2009, she was hired by Hindustan Times to write weekly columns for their lifestyle section; through these columns she interacted with her fans and passed details of her personal and professional life.[134][135] That year, she participated in the World 10K Bangalore marathon, which raised ₹13.1 million (US$200,000) in support of 81 NGOs.[136][137] In 2010, Padukone adopted the Maharashtrian village of Ambegaon as part of NDTV's Greenathon Campaign, to provide the village with a regular supply of electricity.[138] She visited Indian jawans (troops) in Jammu, for an Independence Day special episode of NDTV's reality show Jai Jawaan.[139] Padukone also took part in the opening ceremony of the third season of the Indian Premier League at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.[140] Three years later, she performed alongside Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Pitbull for the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League.[141] In 2014, she participated in a concert tour across North America, entitled "SLAM! The Tour", in which she performed alongside her co-stars from Happy New Year.[142] Padukone has also been involved with the Olympic Gold Quest team, established by her father and Geet Sethi to support Indian athletes at the Olympic Games, along with sports personalities such as Leander Paes and Viswanathan Anand and several other actors.[143] In 2013, she launched her own line of clothing for women, in association with the retail chain Van Heusen.[144]
In the media
Padukone at an event for Van Heusen in 2014
One of the highest-paid actresses in Bollywood,[150] Padukone is considered among the most popular and high-profile celebrities in India.[32][85] Analysing her career, Reuters published that after making a successful debut with Om Shanti Om, she featured in a series of films for which critics labelled her as "wooden" and "mocked her accent."[151] The Indian Express added, "Not too long ago after a few unwise script calls and the public blow up of her high profile relationship with Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika was written off. Credit to her much touted professionalism, dedication, discipline and perseverance that she bounced back."[152] Following the major success of Cocktail, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, and Chennai Express, several media publications began crediting her as the most successful contemporary actress in India.[30][153] In 2013, she was ranked eleventh on the Indian edition of the Forbes ' "Celebrity 100," a list based on the income and popularity of India's celebrities.[154] The following year she was ranked eighth, with an estimated annual earning of ₹672 million (US$10 million).[155]
Padukone is considered a sex symbol and style icon in India – the media cites her figure, height 1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in), smile, and eyes as her distinctive physical features.[156] The actress ranks high on various listings of the most attractive Indian celebrities.[157] In 2008, she topped Indian Maxim 's "Hot 100" list,[158] and in 2012, she was named "India's Most Beautiful Woman" by the Indian edition of People magazine.[159] Padukone was ranked first on The Times of India 's listing of the "Most Desirable Woman" in 2012 and 2013, after being ranked third and fourth, respectively, for the preceding two years.[160][161] In 2010 and 2014, she was named the "World's Sexiest Woman" by the Indian edition of FHM.[162] She has additionally featured in the UK magazine Eastern Eye 's "World's Sexiest Asian Women" list from 2009 to 2013, ranking among the top ten each year.[163] In 2013, Filmfare declared her as the winner of the "Most Fashionable Star" poll, and credited her as one of the "few actresses who experiments with colours, cuts and silhouettes."[164] In the fitness book The Four-Week Countdown Diet, the actress was cited by Namita Jain as "the ultimate role model for a healthy, fit and active lifestyle."[165]
Padukone is an active celebrity endorser for several brands and products, including Tissot, Sony Cyber-shot, Nescafe, Vogue eyewear, Maybelline and Pepsi, among others.[166] In 2012, it was reported that Padukone had signed on for an endorsement deal with Garnier worth ₹60 million (US$910,000), a record breaking remuneration for an Indian actress.[167][168]
Filmography and awards
Selected filmography
Main article: Deepika Padukone filmography
- Om Shanti Om (2007)
- Love Aaj Kal (2009)
- Cocktail (2012)
- Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)
- Chennai Express (2013)
- Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013)
- Happy New Year (2014)
- Piku (2015)
Awards
Padukone has been the recipient of two Filmfare Awards: Best Female Debut for Om Shanti Om (2007) and Best Actress for Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013).
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