Deepika Padukone Movies That Prove She’s the True Queen of Bollywood
Mia Walsh general
1. Om Shanti Om (2007)
Om Shanti Om marked Deepika Padukone’s debut in Bollywood and we’re sure that it must have been nothing short than a dream come true for the actress back then. After all, making your debut with a big-budget Bollywood film starring opposite Shah Rukh Khan is not something we see too often. Directed by Farah Khan, this Deepika Padukone movie was based on the concept of reincarnation. In the first half of the film, we see a struggling actor named Om (Shah Rukh Khan), who’s fascinated by Bollywood’s leading actress Shanti Priya (Deepika Padukone). Shanti Priya, on the other hand, was in love with powerful producer Mukesh Mehra (Arjun Rampal). But, Mukesh ends up betraying her and leaves her to die. While Om tries everything possible, he ends up losing his life as well. But, as fate had it Mukesh would not be able to walk away from his crime without paying for it. Om takes birth again with a destiny to take revenge on Shanti’s behalf. For this, he also takes help of Sandy (Deepika Padukone), an exact replica of Shanti Priya. Om Shanti Om was a fun entertainer that went on to score massively at the box-office.
2. Love Aaj Kal (2009)
Love is complicated. Each relation comes with its own set of challenges. But, it seems like, in today’s times, complications in a relationship have grown even further. Imtiaz Ali tries to tell the story of the troubles faced by modern-day couples along with a parallel love story set in the past. While Jai (Saif Ali Khan) and Meera (Deepika Padukone) are part of the modern-day love story, Veer Singh (Saif Ali Khan) and Harleen Kaur (Gisele) are seen as the old school couple in the Deepika Padukone movie. Overall, there’s obviously a lot that differs between these romances but Ali tries to give out the message that, at the end of the day, it’s love that matters. However, the thrill of chasing instant gratification does seem kinda flimsy when putting up against the old fashion notion of earning love through sincerity. Love Aaj Kal is filled with fantastic dialogues, sprinkled with a healthy dose of comedy and drama which is enough to make you fall in love with both the characters and the film. The audience instantly fell in love with Saif and Deepika’s chemistry as the two made their relationship seem very authentic and natural.
3. Cocktail (2012)
3 years later, Deepika Padukone reunited with Saif Ali Khan on screen with Cocktail. Directed by Homi Adajania, this Deepika Padukone movie was a love triangle that also featured Diana Penty. Meera (Diana Penty) is a traditional Indian girl in London who meets the London bred and oh so sexy Veronica (Deepika Padukone) by chance. Despite the stark differences in their personality, they become good friends and begin to live together. Later on, Gautam (Saif Ali Khan) comes into the picture and falls for Veronica. The three become good friends but Gautam realizes that his feelings for Meera are more than just friendship. And thus begin heartbreaks, arguments, and depression for the trio. As a film, Cocktail had a lot going on for it. The camaraderie shared between Deepika and Saif was once again flawless and Diana’s inclusion made it even better. While everyone in the film brought their A-game to play, Deepika Padukone simply managed to steal the show. Although she did have a character that went through multiple kinds of emotions like love, envy, jealousy, depression, and regret, she was convincing in each and everyone one of them.
4. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani was Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone’s second collaboration after Bachna Ae Haseeno, which in fact was the second film for both of them. The Deepika Padukone film was a typical love story revolving around two characters of completely different personalities. First, we have Bunny (Ranbir Kapoor), a fun loving extrovert who wishes to travel to every corner of the world and then there’s Naina (Deepika Padukone), a medical student who’s an introvert but values the little things in life. The two of them meet on a trip to Manali which also is attended by Bunny’s close friends Avi (Aditya Roy Kapur) and Aditi (Kalki Koechlin). Right from the first scene, you feel you’ve hoped on to a fun filled exciting ride along with the four characters of the film. It’s almost as if you’re a part of their squad. A lot of credit for that goes to Ayan Mukerji’s who successfully presents an authentic story making the characters and situations relatable to one and all.
5. Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ramleela (2013)
Even though Ramleela was Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone’s first project together, it was enough to prove that their pairing is absolute fire on the big screen. The Deepika Padukone movie was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet set in an Indian backdrop. While this has been attempted multiple times in Bollywood, with Sanjay Leela Bhansali helming the project, you are bound to expect something special. Gladly, the film lives up to those exceptions thanks to Bhansali’s vision and the stellar performances, particularly by the lead pair. Set in a vibrant town in Gujarat, Ram (Ranveer Singh) and Leela (Deepika Padukone) belong to the clans of Rajadi and Sanada respectively. Ram and Leela are instantly attracted to each other when they meet. However, due to their family clash, they decided to keep their relationship a secret. Since it is officially a Rome and Juliet adaptation, you know where the story is heading but Bhansali still keeps you interested with little twists and turns.
6. Finding Fanny (2014)
Homi Adajania and Deepika Padukone teamed up once again for Finding Fanny. The unconventional comedy also starred Arjun Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Naseeruddin Shah, and Pankaj Kapoor. The story revolves around five characters and is set in a village called Pocolim in Goa where life is slow and simple. A young widow named Angie (Deepika Padukone) decides to help her old friend find his long lost love Fanny and thus arrives the name Finding Fanny. She manages to get three other locals from the village on board and they set out on their quest. It is not the destination that is important here but the journey of these five characters and what we learn about them through the course of it. Throughout the Deepika Padukone movie, these are constant underlying humor and in some scenes leaves you in splits. As expected with a cast of such talented actors, that department was never an issue as everyone puts up an amazing show. Finding Fanny also proved that Homi Adajania is a talented filmmaker and the audience can always expect something fresh and intriguing from him.
7. Piku (2015)
A father who introduces his daughter to potential matches as financially, emotionally and sexually independent, non-virgin woman and a daughter who screams at her dad over his obsession with health… with Piku, Shoojit Sircar has created a whole new world in itself. In Piku, we see this father-daughter duo with a dysfunctional relationship head out on a road trip with Rana (Irrfan Khan), their driver. The cast of Irrfan Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Deepika Padukone is a delight to watch on the big screen. With this film, Deepika once again proved that she’s one of the most versatile actresses in the industry. Her attitude in the film is a perfect depiction of a woman who’s independent, has a mind of her own and does not let others dictate her life. Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan too do complete justice to their characters. The Deepika Padukone movie makes for an entertaining watch without the masala or unnecessary inclusion of romance. And honestly, this is the kind of entertainer that Bollywood should be aiming at.
8. Tamasha (2015)
Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone’s amazing on screen chemistry coupled with Imtiaz Ali’s brilliance behind the camera, almost guarantees you something special and Tamasha definitely holds up. Tamasha is probably Imtiaz Ali’s most complex and intriguing project yet. Simply put, the main message that the Deepika Padukone movie tries to present is that back yourself and pursue what you truly desire. Right in the start, Tara (Deepika Padukone) runs into Ved (Ranbir Kapoor) in Corsica. The two decide to not reveal their identities and play out their wildest of fantasies. Tara falls in love with Ved and happens to meet him few years later. But, this time, she learns that he’s just not the same guy. It’s as if he’s shackled by the rules and norms of society. Ved, always a storyteller by nature, sacrifices his passion for his dad’s happiness and gets into a rut to achieve what society considers to be the perfect life. Tara can see through this and asks Ved to express natural self but this causes him to bury his emotions even further. Eventually, Ved comes to the realisation that his happiness lies in following his passion. The mature performances by the lead pair of Tamasha prove how much the two actors have grown since their debuts.
9. Bajirao Mastani (2015)
Maratha history got the full-on Sanjay Leela Bhansali treatment in Bajirao Mastani. He impresses us with the extravagant visuals of the film set in the 18th century. Although there several fictionalised battles in the film, the focus remains on the married Peshwa's passion for Mastani (Deepika Padukone), the beautiful and courageous half Rajput, half-Muslim princess of Bundelkhand. Priyanka Chopra plays the role of Bajirao’s better half Kashibai. Her character is not the bitter and vengeful wife you’d expect in such a story. But, you end up relating to her loss and anguish thanks to Priyanka’s brilliant efforts. Ranveer and Deepika’s chemistry once again was stunning and Bhansali makes the most of it. Ranveer breathes life into his character Peshwa Bajirao with his machoism as he goes about beheading soldiers. He even gets the Maratha accent spot on, which again was pretty impressive. Deepika is the the fiery warrior princess, who manages to dazzle in every frame. If you ever felt history was boring then you must watch this Deepika Padukone movie since it doesn’t have a single dull moment.
10. Padmaavat (2018)
Padmaavat was a film that faced multiple delays before release as it was a rather a controversial adaptation of Malik Muhammad Jayasi's 16th century epic poem. However, the Deepika Padukone movie eventually was cleared for release and also went on to make big bucks at the box-office. Padmaavat was basically the battle between Rajput king Maharaja Ratan Singh (Shahid Kapoor) and the tyrant ruler Allauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh). Khilji was a man who believes nothing in the world is unavailable to him. If he sets his eyes on something, be it a kingdom or a woman, he will make it his own. And now, he has his eyes set on Rani Padmavati (Deepika Padukone) but Ratan Singh standing in his way. So, as expected, Khilji marches on to Rajasthan along with his massive cavalry. And so we set off for a massive war between two commanders over a woman. Deepika shines bright in the second half and is the cohesive force that holds the film from reducing to a simple tussle between two egoistic men. Shahid Kapoor too does justice to his character of the calm yet brave Rajput. While Shahid and Deepika are extremely impressive in their respective roles, it is Ranveer Singh who walks away with the film. Khilji without a doubt is one of the darkest characters in the history of cinema and Ranveer plays it to perfection. Padmaavat without a doubt is probably Ranveer’s career best performance.
