How Indrajit Lankesh spotted Deepika’s stardom early on

Lankesh recalled Shah Rukh Khan joking that Deepika's hit film meant he'd have to pay her more for Om Shanti Om.

Indian filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh has opened up about discovering Deepika Padukone long before she became one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, revealing that even Shah Rukh Khan recognised the same star quality in her ahead of her Bollywood debut.
Speaking on a podcast, Lankesh reflected on Deepika’s journey from a promising badminton player to a fashion model, recalling how he first spotted her potential while she was working as a model in Bangalore. “At that time, I didn’t look back. I called her after she moved to Mumbai following the Bangalore fashion show,” he said, adding that he immediately wanted her for his film Aishwarya.
Lankesh also recounted a moment involving Shah Rukh Khan, who attended an event in Bangalore where Deepika was playing the lead role in Aishwarya. When a journalist asked Khan whether he knew the film had become a hit and whether he was considering casting Deepika in his upcoming film Om Shanti Om, Khan responded wittily, saying he had heard it was a big hit and that meant he would have to pay her more.
Within a year, Deepika made her Bollywood debut opposite Khan in Om Shanti Om, a film that went on to become one of the year’s biggest blockbusters and launched her into stardom.
Reflecting on what set Deepika apart from the very beginning, Lankesh described her natural screen presence and charisma. “She has the charisma, the presence in itself was so engaging. She was five foot nine, tall with a sports body. She was an amazing world champion badminton player,” he said, recalling his first impression of her.
He was also quick to credit others who played a role in shaping her career, particularly her then manager. “Pooja Dadlani deserves a lot of credit for helping shape Deepika’s career. She did a lot of the work,” he said.
Lankesh maintained that he had always recognised something rare in Deepika that distinguished her from other newcomers. “Deepika was a star from day one. It’s easy to say it now, but nobody believed me. I knew she was a star,” he said, adding that there is a difference between actors and stars, and that Deepika possessed the kind of presence that pointed clearly toward future stardom.
He also recalled her early struggles in front of the camera during the filming of Aishwarya, where she acted opposite a young actor who already had significant on screen experience. Lankesh said the experience was initially intimidating for Deepika, and that as a director, his role was to help her settle in and feel comfortable. “Once she understood what acting required, she found her rhythm. After that, there was no looking back,” he said.