Deepika Padukone Birthday: Actress To Give Back To Film Industry, Announces Passion Project - DEETS Inside

As Deepika Padukone turns 40, the actress has chosen to mark her birthday by giving back to the film industry that shaped her journey. Taking to social media, the Om Shanti Om star announced her passion project, an experiential learning programme titled ‘On Set’, aimed at nurturing aspiring technicians across multiple departments of Indian cinema and television.The initiative will offer opportunities to budding professionals in writing, direction, cinematography, lighting, editing, sound design, art direction, costume design, hair styling, make-up and production. Sharing her vision in a video announcement, Deepika said, "Last year I put out a video about collaborating with all of you. We received some incredible entries, but that also got me thinking

and strangely coincided with a phase in my life where I was ready to give back to the very industry that has given me so much.”

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The actress further added, “This past year, I've been feeling very strongly about identifying incredible creative talent from across the country and beyond and giving them a platform to be seen, heard and experienced. So here I am with a 2.0 version of Create With Me, and our very first program under Create With Me is the ONSET program, an experiential learning program for technicians across all departments wanting to build a career in Indian film and television."The Bajirao Mastani actress further encouraged raw and passionate talent to come forward, emphasising the importance of dedication and commitment. "If you've got the passion, patience and the willingness to commit, then this one is for you. Send in your work, tell us a little bit about yourself and stand a chance to learn from the best in the business. I truly cannot wait to meet the next generation of creative talent," she added.

On the professional front, Deepika Padukone will next be seen in Shah Rukh Khan’s King, directed by Siddharth Anand. The film also stars Suhana Khan, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff in key roles, and is slated for a 2026 release.Deepika Padukone is celebrating her 40th birthday today, January 5, and is currently in New York with her husband Ranveer Singh, where the couple also rang in the New Year. Earlier, a video of the actress celebrating her birthday with fans went viral on social media, showing her cutting a cake with them. The clip is from December 18, 2025, when Deepika marked a day of gratitude with a special meet-and-greet session for fans.