Deepika Padukone, who made her Bollywod debut in 2007, is today one of the most sought after actresses in the Hindi film industry. With years and years of hard-work and positive attitude, the diva managed to attain superstardom status in less than a decade. But her journey from being a state-level badminton player to a superstar is lesser known.
In a new viral advertismenet for a toothpaste brand, the supremely talented actress features along side her mother Ujjala Padukone. The mother-daughter duo reminisce the day when the 18-year old Deepika decided to give up badminton to pursue a career in acting.
"Putting her into badminton came very naturally because my husband is a national champion. She worked very hard to reach the state level. One morning she woke up and said I want to move to Bombay and I want to become an actor... so I said, Deepika I think you're dreaming. Go back to sleep," says Ujjala in the ad. As you all know, Deepika is the eldest daughter of former badminton champion Prakash Padukone.
Deepika also reveals how she was always confident about what she wanted and had absolute clarity about her goals. Recounting her daughter's precise words, Ujjala says, "Ma, you just wait and see, one day I'll make you all proud," as a blushing Deepika replies, "Can't believe I said that."
The actress further sheds light on her journey of surviving in the film industry. “Be it a successful or a flop film, I get to learn something or the other from each one of them” she says. Talking about failures. Ujjala Padukone says, “Coming from a sports background, you don’t dwell on failures. You put them behind you and learn to move ahead”. “Inner strength for me is smiling even in difficult times” a beaming Deepika concludes.
Watch the ad here:
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Her father Prakash Padukone had earlier revealed that he and his wife Ujjala had sleepless nights when Deepika moved to Mumbai as a teenager.
"It was extremely difficult for us. We were very nervous because she was not even 18. She didn't have a place to stay. She was moving into a new field. At that time we felt she was too young to move out. But now when I look back, I think she did the right thing. Because in that profession, you need to start early," said Prakash Padukone in an interview to India Today.
