Director Indrajit Lankesh has shared an interesting story about how Deepika Padukone got her first film and why he believed she was meant for great success from the very beginning. As he gets ready for the release of his upcoming film Jai Hind Jai Sindh, the filmmaker looked back at the memorable journey of launching Deepika in the 2006 Kannada film Aishwarya, which marked her acting debut.
Speaking about the experience with IANS, Lankesh said he was searching for a fresh face to play the lead role when someone suggested Deepika Padukone. Their first meeting was arranged by Pooja Dadlani, who was managing Deepika at that time and now manages Shah Rukh Khan. According to the director, it did not take long for him to decide that Deepika was the perfect choice.
Lankesh recalled that they met in a lift, where he began explaining the story of the film. He said he had spoken only a couple of lines before Deepika showed complete confidence in the project. That brief meeting was enough for him to cast her in Aishwarya. He added that Deepika already had strong self belief and that he simply created an environment where she could perform comfortably and confidently.
The filmmaker also revealed that he noticed star qualities in Deepika from their very first meeting. He said she had an impressive personality, great screen presence and a strong desire to prove herself. These qualities convinced him that she would one day achieve international success. Lankesh even told her at the time that she would become a Hollywood star. Years later, when Deepika appeared alongside Vin Diesel in the Hollywood film xXx: Return of Xander Cage, he remembered that prediction.
Lankesh also cleared up a long standing misconception about Deepika’s early career. He said she was not working on Om Shanti Om while shooting Aishwarya. According to him, Shah Rukh Khan signed Deepika for Om Shanti Om only after Aishwarya completed a successful 100 day run in theatres.
Released in 2006, Aishwarya was a Kannada romantic drama directed by Indrajit Lankesh. The film starred Upendra, Deepika Padukone in her debut role and Daisy Bopanna. It was the official remake of the Telugu hit Manmadhudu. Deepika’s impressive performance in the film opened the doors to Bollywood, where she went on to become one of India’s biggest and most successful stars.