Bollywood star Deepika Padukone has opened up about auditioning in the West and the rise of Indian cinema.

Deepika Padukone in XXX: The Return of Xander Cage.

Bollywood star Deepika Padukone has opened up about the rise of Indian cinema on the international stage. With All We Imagine as Light winning the Grand Prix at Cannes 2024, Deepika’s statement has become topical. Talking about the newfound attention on Indian cinema, Deepika said that it has less to do with the way we are making films and more to do with the West opening up to our brand of cinema. 

“I don’t think we’ve drastically changed anything in India about the way that we work or the kinds of stories that we tell. I think we’ve always had interesting stories to tell, but I do think that what has changed is that the world has opened up to the idea of the East and India in particular and I think that’s the change — realizing there is a world outside of America,” she told Deadline. 

Deepika noted how RRR and the success of Naatu Naatu song from the film, which went on to win the Oscar, made the world smaller for Indian cinema. “I think the world has become smaller, and the world has come together and it’s really about telling great stories. Whether it’s working in Sweden or Bosnia, it’s about telling interesting stories that resonate for an audience across the world,” she said.

However, getting into Hollywood seems to be a whole different ball game according to Deepika Padukone. The actor opined that it was anything like Bollywood. Deepika made her Hollywood debut with 2017’s XXX: Return of Xander Cage with Vin Diesel. Reminiscing about her break, Deepika said it was a new experience as she had never auditioned before for a role as she became an overnight sensation when Farah Khan case her in Om Shanti Om without doing any sort of test. “About a decade ago, when I started my journey in the West auditioning, it was a really new process for me because I’d never had to audition. I wasn’t a trained actor, and I never went to a fancy acting school — everything that I’ve learned has been on the job.”

Deepika Padukone recalls how she got debut film ‘Om Shanti Om’ without an audition: I was young, lost but felt protected

In the last two years, Deepika Padukone has consistently triumphed at the box office. In 2023, her film ‘Pathaan’, alongside Shah Rukh Khan, soared past $100 million globally, even without a release in China. The following year, her action-packed role in ‘Fighter’ raked in $43 million worldwide within a mere 30 days, showcasing her enduring popularity. In a recent interview, Padukone stressed the significance of personal connections and on-set experiences over commercial success. Recollecting her debut in 2007’s ‘Om Shanti Om’, initially questioning her casting without an audition, she credited director Farah Khan’s faith in her talent for transforming her career. This launchpad led to a series of successful ventures like ‘Cocktail’, ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’, ‘Chennai Express’, ‘Happy New Year’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’, and ‘Padmaavat’.

has been achieving major box office success. In 2023, she starred with Shah Rukh Khan in the hit film ‘Pathaan’, which made over $100 million worldwide without a China release. In 2024, she led the action movie ‘Fighter’, which earned $43 million globally in its first 30 days. These successes highlight her strong appeal and popularity.
Recently, the actress spoke about box office success and told Deadline that the box office success, awards and accolades are all important, but for her, as a person, the time she’s had with people and the experiences she has on the set of a film are of utmost importance.

Deepika made her Hindi film debut in 2007 with the hit movie ‘Om Shanti Om’, starring alongside Shah Rukh Khan. Director Farah Khan chose Deepika, an unknown model at the time without an audition.
Padukone recalled the incident and wondered, ‘Why would they invest so much money in a big movie with a superstar and cast me without an audition?’, however, Farah seemed to have identified a star in Padukone.

Speaking about the same, she said, ‘When I think back, I think of myself as so young and naïve and lost but at the same time, I felt so protected and I really couldn’t have asked for a better debut, because they protected me and they didn’t need to. They made sure that I emoted well and that I said my dialogue well, and made me feel included and comfortable. And then when we started promoting the movie, they really propped me up and put me out there and my life changed overnight.” Post her debut, Padukone went on to star in numerous hit films such as ‘Cocktail’, ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’, ‘Chennai Express’, ‘Happy New Year’, ‘Bajirao Mastani’ and ‘Padmaavat’.

On the work front, Deepika has ‘Kalki 2829 AD’ scheduled for release in May, co-starring Prabhas. It’s described as an epic sci-fi film, blending mythology in a post-apocalyptic setting. Additionally, she’s currently filming ‘Singham Again’, the third installment of Rohit Shetty’s ‘Singham’ series, which also features her husband, Ranveer Singh.