Filmmaker Farah Khan recently shed light on a fascinating detail from Deepika Padukone’s debut film, Om Shanti Om. Amidst recent rumors of a rift between the two, an old interview has resurfaced where Farah candidly discussed casting Deepika in the 2007 hit opposite Shah Rukh Khan. Farah revealed that while a formal audition wasn’t held, she had already decided on Deepika for the role after seeing her.
During a conversation with Mukesh Chhabra, Farah Khan recalled Deepika’s initial nervousness and mentioned a particular challenge: “Her voice back then was quite bad. And her diction had a typical South Indian accent, from Karnataka, from Bangalore.” Farah admitted that this distinctive accent often disturbed her when watching the look tests, leading her to sometimes mute the sound and focus on Deepika’s captivating screen presence. She also noted that Deepika reminded her of the legendary Hema Malini, even earning her the nickname “Dreamy Girl” during the process. Despite these initial hurdles, Farah was convinced of Deepika’s potential, stating, “More or less, I had decided that I was going to cast her.”
Following her spectacular debut in Om Shanti Om, Deepika Padukone quickly established herself as a leading actress in Bollywood, showcasing both her talent and beauty. The successful director-actress duo later collaborated again for the 2014 film Happy New Year. Deepika is now set to star alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Suhana Khan in the upcoming film King.