Farah Khan on why she launched Deepika Padukone in Om Shanti Om: 'Shah Rukh was there, I could take risk'

Deepika Padukone’s debut in the Bollywood industry with Om Shanti Om can be rightfully attributed to choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan as she was the director of the Shah Rukh Khan starrer. Recently, in a candid conversation with casting director Mukesh Chhabra on Mashable India’s show The Bombay Dream, Farah opened up on the reason that made her introduce Deepika in the industry.

In response to Mukesh Chhabra’s statement that Farah launched stars like Deepika Padukone, the director revealed, “To launch a hero is on another level because who will give you the money? I launched her because Shah Rukh Khan was there. So, I could take that risk.”

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Moving further, Farah also shared her views on the requirements to become a Bollywood leading lady. The director said that a Hindi film heroine needs to have a good appearance along with a magnetic presence. In addition to that, the filmmaker also believes that to be a Bollywood actress, one must have a certain carriage to captivate the audience. Calling Deepika a full package, Farah emphasised that the Pathaan actress has striking looks with stellar acting skills and also possesses the ability to set ablaze the stage with her dance moves.

The choreographer-filmmaker went on to highlight the importance of self-awareness adding that individuals must assess themselves to determine if they have what it needs to be a leading heroine. Recalling her experience on the sets of the song Pehla Nasha, she said, “When I was an assistant in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Saroj ji had come for ‘Pehla Nasha’. I used to clap, watching her work. I was self-aware that I could do it and this song I can do better because I won’t do it in a filmy way. I will do it in a new way.”

Deepika Padukone, meanwhile, is now all set to star in Singham Again, helmed by Rohit Shetty. The film is creating a lot of anticipation among fans for its star-studded cast which includes Ranveer Singh, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Arjun Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Tiger Shroff, and others. Additionally, she will also feature in Kalki 2898 AD alongside Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, and Disha Patani.