Sportswoman to Superstar, here’s a look at Deepika’s extraordinary journey

Deepika Padukone was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to badminton player Prakash Padukone and wife Ujjala. The family shifted back to India when she was a year old. Deepika did her schooling in Bangalore’s Sophia High School and pre-university education from Mount Carmel College. She admitted that she was a quiet and a socially awkward child with limited friends, but added that she was always disciplined as she was a national level badminton player.

Padukone had a very simple upbringing and her parents made it a point to never let her and her younger sister Anisha feel that they were born to a celebrity. Padukone has even shared memories of sleeping on the floor between the train berths many a times when she travelled for her tournaments.

In her late teens, Deepika realised that she had been playing the sport only because it ran in the family and her real interests lay in show business. After being discovered by Prasad Bidappa, she shifted base to Mumbai and started modelling. She walked for big designers and became the face of many renowned brands like Liril, and Limca. She later accepted that she never had a plan B, and was determined to make it big in Bollywood.

In 2006, she appeared in a Kannada movie ‘Aishwarya’ and later in 2007 made a breakthrough Bollywood debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Om Shanti Om’. The movie was a super hit and Deepika became a star overnight. Deepika even swept all the Best Debutant Award at the many award functions held that year.

Her career faced a downfall as post her debut the films she did didn’t do well at the Box Office. She was criticized for her work and people called her a pretty face with no talent. Her career went downhill with back-to-back flops until what she calls as her golden year, ‘2013’ arrived. In 2013, Deepika struck gold with five successful films:

Race 2

Cocktail:

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani:

Chennai Express:

Goliyon Ki Raas Leela Ram Leela: This movie won Deepika her first Filmfare 'Best Actress' Award:

Not only did these movies work terrifically well at the box office, but Deepika jumped the ladder to become the most celebrated actress by the end of the year, critically acclaimed for both her beauty and acting.

In 2014 Deepika appeared in ‘Finding Fanny’ and ‘Happy New Year’. Both received mixed reviews:

2015 was yet another rewarding year in Padukone’s career. She appeared in three films, out of which two did extremely well at the Box Office:

Piku: Deepika won the Filmfare 'Best Actress' Award for this movie

Bajirao Mastani:

Later that year Deepika bagged her first Hollywood movie ‘XXX: Return of Xander Cage’ opposite Vin Diesel. Busy shooting for the film overseas, this year we didn’t get to see Deepika do any Bollywood film.

She is currently the most followed Asian woman on Twitter, and one of the most influential personalities of India.

Deepika will make her Hollywood debut on 19th January 2017. She is currently shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Padmavati’, also starring Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, the film is scheduled to release in 2017.