Deepika Padukone

Date of Birth: 5th Janaury 1986
City: Bangalore
Country: India
Father: ex badminton player Prakash Padukone
Occupation: Fashion Model / Bollywood Actress
Debut Film: Happy New Year
Languages: Kannada, Hindi, English

Deepika has been modelling appearances in print and television advertising campaigns for Liril soap, Close-Up toothpaste and Limca, receiving many prestigious modelling offers, including brand ambassadorship of the Jewels of India, an annual jewellery exhibition. She hit the international scene when Maybelline made her their new international cover face.

At the fifth annual Kingfisher Fashion Awards, for Indian models and designers, she was awarded the title of Model of the Year. Shortly afterwards, she was chosen as one of the models for the Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar for 2006, thus cementing her reputation as a supermodel. She also bagged two trophies at the Idea Zee F Awards in 2006 Female Model of the year (Commercial Assignments) and Fresh Face of the year.

Like many successful models before her Deepika is turning to acting in Bollywood. She started by starring in the music video for "Naam Hai Tera," a song from the pop album Aap Ka Suroor, an independent album by popular Bollywood singer-composer Himesh Reshammiya.

Deepika recently made her cinematic debut in a Kannada film, Aishwarya, directed by Indrajit Lankesh. Her costars in the movie is top Kannada hero Upendra. The film has already been successful at the box office, and Deepika has received reviews which praise her for her great screen presence. Reportedly, she has also signed on three Hindi movies Priyadarshan's forthcoming film, Pirate, Farah Khan's second directorial venture, Om Shanti Om and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Delhi 6. 'All three are slated for a 2007 release. 'However, Deepika has categorically denied ever having met Priyadarshan, and claims she is not doing his film. Khan's and Mehra's films, however, seem very much on the anvil, though she is reluctant to talk about them with the press and won't confirm or deny developments.