It’s been a decade since Deepika Padukone arrived in Bollywood with her debut in Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om. She made a mark in the industry, that is plagued with accusations of nepotism, without an influential star parent. Be it her dazzling smile or her face that tugs that at your heartstrings when she weeps on screen, there is something enigmatically ethereal about her.
Decoding her ‘je ne sais quoi’ is a gargantuan task. Having garnered critical acclaim with the likes of Piku, commercial success with films such as Chennai Express, she went on to revive the XXX franchise in Hollywood. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s favourite muse, Padukone seems intent on broadening her horizon.
With speculation rife about an impending engagement with rumoured longtime boyfriend, Ranveer Singh, she is on the way to capture the imagination of the country ala Virushka.
Ranveer may have overshadowed Deepika in the public space with his flamboyant personality but Deepika wears her sass and sensitivity on her sleeve. Not the one to hide her vulnerable side, she has openly shed tears while talking about mental health. It takes courage for a star to bare herself in public.
But she’s no demure damsel. Advocating her own brand of feistiness, she has spoken up on many occasions. Be it the ‘cleavage controversy’, the bounties on her head declared by regressive fringe groups, being cheated on in one of her relationships, to depression, the star has spoken up when it matters.
On her birthday today, we wish Deepika Padukone, a year free of ‘filmi’ controversies.
Attagirl! Speak your mind even if your voice shakes.
Editor: Veeru Krishan Mohan
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