Deepika Padukone Birthday: From badminton courts to becoming a global film icon

Deepika Prakash Padukone is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. She has received three Filmfare Awards. In 2018, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2022.

By Bollyy 05 Jan 2026 in Birthday Special

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Deepika Prakash Padukone is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. She has received three Filmfare Awards. In 2018, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2022, she was honored with the Time100 Impact Award.

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DYK Deepika Padukone

Deepika, the daughter of badminton player Prakash Padukone, was born in Copenhagen and raised in Bengaluru. As a teenager, she participated in national badminton competitions, but later left her sports career to pursue fashion modeling. She soon began receiving film offers, and in 2006, she made her acting debut in the Kannada film "Aishwarya ." She then played a double role in her first Bollywood film, "Om Shanti Om" (2007), opposite Shah Rukh Khan, for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.

Aishwarya (2006) - Trivia - IMDb

Her performance in the 2009 romantic film "Love Aaj Kal" received critical acclaim, although her career slowed down for a while after that. The 2012 romantic comedy "Cocktail" proved to be a turning point in her career. She then had successful roles in "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani" and "Chennai Express" (both 2013), "Happy New Year" (2014), Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period dramas "Bajirao Mastani" (2015) and "Padmaavat" (2018), and the Hollywood action film "XXX: Return of Xander Cage" (2017).

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Deepika Padukone

Her portrayal of a Juliet-inspired character in Bhansali's "Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela" (2013) and a self-reliant daughter in "Piku" (2015) received immense critical acclaim and won her two Filmfare Awards for Best Actress. After a short break and two films under her production company Ka Productions, Deepika returned to big-budget action films— "Pathan" (2023), "Fighter" and "Kalki 2898 AD" (both 2024).

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Filmfare Recommends: Top 14 Deepika Padukone Movies | filmfare.com

5 Memorable Deepika Padukone Films Where Her Presence And Performance Melded Well - Digital Studio India

Mental health awareness

Deepika Padukone at the Met Gala

Deepika is the founder of The Live Love Laugh Foundation, which works to raise awareness about mental health in India. For this contribution, she received the World Economic Forum's Crystal Award in 2018. She participates in stage shows, has designed her own clothing line for women, and is a prominent celebrity endorser for several brands. Deepika has appeared on the Met Gala red carpet in New York three times, in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Her other ventures include start-up investments and a self-care brand. She is married to her frequent co-star Ranveer Singh, and they have a daughter.

Early life and modeling career

Deepika Padukone childhood photos

Deepika was born on January 5, 1986, in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Konkani-speaking Indian parents. Her father, Prakash Padukone, is a former professional badminton player, and her mother, Ujjala, is a travel agent. Her younger sister, Anisha, is a golfer. Her grandfather, Ramesh, was the secretary of the Mysore Badminton Association. The family moved to Bengaluru when Deepika was one year old.

Deepika Padukone with family.

She attended Sophia High School in Bengaluru and completed her pre-university education at Mount Carmel College. She later pursued a bachelor's degree in sociology at Indira Gandhi National Open University, but dropped out to pursue a modeling career.

Along with her studies and sports, she began working in commercials as a child artist at the age of eight. In tenth grade, she decided to become a fashion model. In 2004, she began a full-time modeling career under the guidance of Prasad Bidappa. She initially gained recognition with a TV commercial for Liril soap and went on to model for several other brands.

In 2005, she walked the ramp for designer Suneet Varma at Lakme Fashion Week and was named Model of the Year at the Kingfisher Fashion Awards. Her popularity further increased with the 2006 Kingfisher Calendar print campaign.

At the age of 21, Deepika moved to Mumbai and lived with her aunt. In 2006, she gained recognition in the music video for Himesh Reshammiya's song "Naam Hai Tera" (from the album Aap Ka Suroor). Following this, she began receiving film offers. Considering herself new to acting, she trained at Anupam Kher's acting academy.

Personal Life

Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone married actor Ranveer Singh on November 14–15, 2018, in Lake Como, Italy, following traditional Konkani and Sindhi rituals in a private ceremony attended only by family and close friends. Following the wedding, the couple hosted receptions in Mumbai and Bengaluru. The couple welcomed a daughter in September 2024. The couple has not yet disclosed their daughter's identity or name, preferring to keep her privacy away from the media.

Upcoming Project

King - IMDb

Deepika Padukone has several major projects lined up, including the action-thriller King (to be released in 2026) with Shah Rukh Khan, and potentially Pathan 2, an epic film with Allu Arjun (AA22xA6), and a Mother Teresa biopic. She is also attached to The Intern remake with Amitabh Bachchan and the mythological film Mahaavatar.