The news cycle recently lit up with speculation after fans noticed that Deepika Padukone had unfollowed filmmaker Farah Khan on Instagram. The chatter suggested it might have been linked to Farah’s alleged comment about expecting actors to work long, uninterrupted shifts, a remark that, according to buzz, didn’t sit well with Deepika. While neither has officially clarified the reason, the move has reignited interest in the duo’s history, particularly because Farah was the one who launched Deepika into Bollywood stardom with Om Shanti Om back in 2007.
And here’s the throwback: while Om Shanti Om made Deepika an overnight sensation, Farah has been open about how the actress wasn’t entirely polished in her debut. In fact, Deepika’s diction was considered so weak at the time that her voice had to be dubbed for the film.
Farah recalled, “Her diction was really bad then. Uski aavaj bauhat he kharab thi. Uska language mein proper south ka tone tha. Her diction was bad but when she did songs, her face would light up. She was very expressive with songs.” For that reason, although the rest of the movie was filmed with sync sound, Deepika’s voice was replaced by another artiste. “Everything else was sync sound but her voice was dubbed,” Farah explained.
Despite the rough edges, Farah said she had been certain about Deepika’s potential since the first time she saw her. After Main Hoon Na, Farah was initially planning Happy New Year when she met Deepika in a simple salwar-kameez. “I had seen her in a Fanta ad and I thought then that this girl is going to be a heroine,” she said. Farah even told her, “I am making Happy New Year. I’ll test you and if you are good I’ll cast you opposite Shah Rukh. If you are not good, I will take you with Zayed.”
When the plan for Happy New Year shifted, Farah brought Deepika into Om Shanti Om. She remembered auditioning her in the Amrapali outfit for the “Dhoom Tanna” sequence. The brief was simple: Farah wanted someone who could carry the aura of classic heroines. “I wanted someone who could look like that era’s Hema Malini. I found that quality in her,” she shared.
Farah also ensured Deepika underwent extensive training before cameras rolled. She enrolled her in diction lessons, dance classes, and even Anupam Kher’s acting school. “I enrolled her in everything. We were properly training her,” Farah said, though she admitted, “She was doing diction classes, not very seriously.”
Even though her acting chops weren’t immediately praised and her voice didn’t make it to the final cut, Deepika’s star-like screen presence was undeniable. “Her face would light up” in songs, Farah remembered, which became one of the reasons audiences connected with her right away. Om Shanti Om didn’t just mark her debut — it set her firmly on the path to becoming one of India’s most acclaimed and versatile actors.
Fast forward to today, and Deepika’s career is a testimony to how much she has evolved. From Piku and Padmaavat to Chhapaak and global projects, her body of work speaks for itself. The unfollowing incident may have sparked gossip, but it also reminds fans of how far she has come since that first film with Farah Khan — from a dubbed voice to one of the most powerful voices in Indian cinema.
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