Deepika Padukone Reveals Why She Rejected Films Before Om Shanti Om: 'Lots Of Producers, Directors Were...'

Deepika Padukone made her Bollywood debut in Om Shanti Om and became a sensation. However, before that, she had proved her mettle in South cinema and had also worked as a model. As such, she was given

several chances to debut in Bollywood before she said yes to Farah Khan’s film. However, in a recent chat with Harper’s Bazaar, she revealed that she had rejected those films as the timing didn’t seem right to her.

Deepika Padukone said, “Honestly, it all happened so quickly that sometimes it feels like a blur. Technically, I modelled for only two years, and by then the film industry had already started reaching out. But in those two years, I did so much—runway, print, television commercials—that people still remember me as a model. Before I knew it, I was on a film set, and I didn’t even have time to process it. When I look back, I think it all unfolded at the right time. And if I may say so, I handled it pretty well.”

“It all happened very fast. Even in those two years of modelling, a lot of producers and directors were pursuing me for movies. But I wasn’t ready for it. I had just started in this world of glamour and show business, and I felt like I needed to settle a little before transitioning. So the movies could have happened almost immediately, but I was politely saying I wasn’t ready. I’m still grateful for those opportunities. The timing of Om Shanti Om felt right,” the actress mentioned.

Reflecting on how she has grown as a person in her career, she said, “Back then, I was almost oblivious. I knew this was where I’d be and what I’d be doing, but I had no clue how I was going to get there. Whether it was walking the ramp for the first time or being on a film set, I was learning. Even now I’m learning, but it’s a different kind of learning. Back then, it was about understanding the basics, the industry, the craft, the medium.”

“Now it’s about how to get better, how to do things differently. The learning never stops; it just evolves. I think I’m a lot more confident today than I was then. At that age, there’s so much self-doubt, so many questions about whether you’re doing it right, what people think. Now it’s about being sure of who I am and what I want to do,” she concluded.