Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone recently opened up about her journey as an actor in the Hindi film industry in an interview, describing her experiences as a novice in Bollywood. Padukone, who made her debut in Farah Khan’s ‘Om Shanti Om’ at the age of 19, likened her beginning to being ‘thrown in the deep end’ and called it a ‘hugely daunting’ process. 

“My very first movie was a big-ticket, marquee project with the biggest names in the business. A debut one could only dream of! I was extremely raw and unaware, but Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan held my hand and guided me throughout the entire process,” she told India Today. 

Noting that the acclaim the movie received was overwhelming, she added that comments on her performance, whether positive or negative, left a huge impact on her, especially since she was so young. She found a lot of what was said and written about her ‘extremely hurtful’, adding that the way accent was ‘made fun of’ was not a pleasant experience. 

Despite being ‘scathingly criticised,’ the Bajirao Mastani actor was able to stand her ground and push through the noise, emerging as one of the most sought after actors in the industry, she said in the interview.

“Criticism fuels me. It fuels me to work harder, to improve my skills and evolve the various aspects of my craft,” Padukone said, crediting her family and upbringing for instilling values such as ‘dignity, humility, honesty and authenticity’ which serve as principles for her to live by. 

“My years as an athlete taught me how to handle success and failure. They taught me dedication, discipline and determination,” she added. 

Deepika was last seen in Meghna Gulzar’s ‘Chhapaak’, in which she played the role of an acid attack survivor. She will next be seen in ’83’, opposite husband Ranveer Singh.

Currently, Deepika working on Shakun Batra’s next movie, which also features Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ananya Panday.