In a recent episode of her cooking vlog, filmmaker Farah Khan shared how she carefully prepared a young Deepika Padukone for her Bollywood debut in the 2007 blockbuster Om Shanti Om . The conversation, which took place during a visit to Dia Mirza’s home, revealed the extensive training and care Farah invested in launching the newcomer opposite Shah Rukh Khan.
The Training Regimen
While discussing the experiences of newcomers in Bollywood, Dia Mirza mentioned she received no workshops before her debut. Farah Khan responded by detailing the lengths she went to for Deepika Padukone .
“When I used to hear stories about the level of love, care and attention you gave them. Unke workshops karwaye, classes lagwaye, tameez seekhayi ki acting kya hoti hai, dance classes karwaaye (you made them attend workshops, enrolled them in classes, taught them proper etiquette and what acting really is, and even arranged dance classes for them), diction coaching, I had nothing of that sort,” Dia said to Farah .
Farah then revealed, “Pehle toh maine usse 3-4 mahine Anupam Kher ki classes mein bheja, fir maine usse Kathak classes mein bheja (First, I sent her to Anupam Kher’s acting classes for three to four months. After that, I enrolled her in Kathak classes). We did so many look tests,” she said, adding that she took great care of the now-superstar .
‘Sit and See Shah Rukh Khan Work’
Perhaps the most unique piece of advice Farah gave to Deepika was to simply observe. She revealed that she deliberately started Deepika’s shoot ten days later than the rest of the cast. Farah recalled telling the newcomer, “For the first 10 days, just come to the set and just be there on set, see how Shah Rukh Khan is working, how Shreyas Talpade is working. Just come and sit there every day” .
The idea was to let Deepika absorb the atmosphere, learn from the professionals around her, and understand the rhythm of a film set before she faced the camera herself.
The Risk and Reward
Farah Khan has previously spoken about the confidence she had in launching Deepika, a risk she was able to take because she already had the star power of Shah Rukh Khan as her male lead . The film proved to be a massive success and a career-defining launchpad for Deepika, who became an overnight sensation .
