From Om Shanti Om to now: How SRK and Deepika built Bollywood’s most enduring on-screen legacy

Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone are not just a hit pair. They’re a cultural moment. A duo that keeps returning to the screen and each time, manages to push the audience into a familiar yet renewed state of awe. Their story as co-stars began in 2007 with Om Shanti Om, a film that did more than launch Deepika into overnight stardom. It set the foundation for what would grow into one of the most memorable on-screen partnerships of modern Hindi cinema. SRK’s effortless charm and Deepika’s poised freshness blended into a reincarnation tale that felt grand, emotional, and deeply entertaining. The film’s success signaled that something special had arrived.

Six years later came Chennai Express in 2013, a film far removed from the grandeur of Om Shanti Om, yet equally powerful in its reach. As Meenamma, Deepika delivered a performance that remains iconic, switching between comedy and strength with ease. SRK, playing a reluctant hero caught in her whirlwind, matched her beat-for-beat. Their chemistry shifted from romantic fairy tale to playful, lived-in camaraderie, and audiences loved every second.

Happy New Year followed, proving that the audience wasn’t done with them. By now, their working relationship seemed effortless. They didn’t have to perform chemistry. They simply had it.

Then, in 2023, came Jawan. A different terrain. A film built on scale, emotion, and political anger. Deepika’s role may not have been the longest, but its emotional weight anchored the film. When SRK shared the story of calling Deepika and asking her to do Jawan, he spoke like someone who knew that only she could bring the emotional gravity the story needed. Their bond—creative, respectful, instinctive—was visible on screen.