Choreographer-turned-director Farah Khan and Deepika Padukone have in recent times been the subject of rumours of a supposed fallout. Speculation set in after Farah casually stated that an actress wanted an 8-hour shooting schedule a statement fans immediately connected with Deepika, particularly following her reported quitting of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit. Things took a turn for the worse when eagle-eyed fans pointed out that Farah and Deepika were no longer following one another on Instagram, creating rumblings of a fall-out.
But Farah Khan was quick to set the record straight in an interview with Pinkvilla. She said, “First of all, we were not liking each other’s posts, too! We had taken an oath during the Happy New Year shoot that we would not talk on Instagram; we would direct message and call instead.” Farah further mentioned that Deepika is a private person who never wants public birthday wishes or flashy social media bouquets.
In the midst of the row, an earlier interview surfaced — one where Farah had spoken of casting Deepika in her directorial debut film Om Shanti Om (2007). In an interview with casting director Mukesh Chhabra about a year ago, Farah disclosed that she never technically auditioned Deepika. She instead called her for a look test at Mehboob Studios.
Farah remembered Deepika’s early shyness and trouble with diction. “She was very nervous.”. Her voice then was not great, and her diction carried that quintessential South Indian flavor — the Bengaluru accent,” said Farah. “I would sit through her look test with sound down because her voice would irritate me. But then I muted it and watched her dance and expressions — she was gorgeous.”. She struck me as Hema ji, and hence we christened her ‘Dreamy Girl’.”
Though there were voice problems, Farah felt convinced about the choice. “More or less, I had made up my mind to cast her,” she said.
Om Shanti Om turned out to be a blockbuster and was the start of Deepika’s successful career in Bollywood. The two again collaborated on Happy New Year (2014), strengthening their professional relationship further.
As social media rumors persist, Farah’s recent interview indicates that their friendship withstands all outside gossip, reiterating that their relationship has ever been more than just Instagram interactions.
