The Name Says It All: Deepika Padukone (image: instagram.com/deepikapadukone)
Deepika Padukone, who made her entry into Bollywood with Om Shanti Om (2007), is currently an icon to be reckoned with in movies, business, and philanthropic ventures.
She had one of the greatest beginnings in 2023 with the Sharukh Khan starrer Pathaan, along with John Abraham, and grossed ₹1050.3 crore worldwide.
Then came Jawan, the Atlee directorial, which is still going strong in theatres, breaking all collection records, where Ms Padukone plays an “extended” cameo role but is received well by the audience. Some of her big releases coming up are Fighter (2024), headlined by Hrithik Roshan, Kalki 2898-A with Prabhas, and The Intern with Amitabh Bachchan.
“Padukone, 37, is India’s highest-paid female actor (not counting Priyanka Chopra Jonas as she has moved base to the US). She reportedly charges ₹12 crore to ₹15 crore per film, when there are barely any female stars who have crossed the ₹10 crore mark. Most of her films where she has played a pivotal role have been one of the highest-grossing films of that year,” writes Namrata Zakaria in The Week.
Besides movies, she is actively engaged in brand endorsements, investments, and other projects. She has Asian Paints, Axis Bank, Dabur, Jio, and Tanishq in her kitty as domestic brands, while the international brands constituted Levi’s and Chopard. Ms Padukone is also the global brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton, Qatar Airways, and Cartier.
We have seen her presenting the performance of RRR”s “Naatu Naatu” at the Academy Awards 2023, as a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival 2022, and unveiling the FIFA World Cup Trophy in Doha, 2022. She made her international movie debut with the action film XXX: Return of Xander Cage (2017), opposite Vin Diesel.
Her Brand
She, along with her sister, Anisha Padukone, started KA Productions and co-produced Chhapaak (2020) and ‘83 (2021). Ms Padukone is also the co-director of KA Enterprises with her father, Prakash Padukone, and they invest in startups. Some of them include Furlenco Furniture, Epigamia Yoghurt, Bellatrix Aerospace, Purpelle Beauty Products Marketplace, and Nua Sanitary ads. She has launched a skincare and wellness company, 82°E, with Jigar Shah. Reportedly, Ms Padukone is strengthening the arena of real estate business as well.
She has been a staunch advocate of mental health, and in 2015, she started the Live Love Laugh Foundation, furthering the same. In 2010, as a part of the NDTV Greenathon campaign, she adopted a village, Ambegaon, in Maharashtra and sponsored electricity.
Power Couple
Her marriage to actor Ranveer Singh advanced the stardom of both and lauds them as a “power couple”. According to a Duff & Phelps (a risk and financial advisory, now called Kroll) annual report, both Deepika and Ranveer have consistently occupied a spot in the Top 10 of India”s most valued celebrities, The Week reports.
(With inputs from The Week”s What makes Deepika Padukone India”s most successful female celebrity story)
