Farah Khan revealed that Deepika Padukone's diction was initially problematic for Om Shanti Om, but despite that challenge, Deepika's star quality and screen presence were unmistakable
Deepika Padukone in 'Om Shanti Om' (Pic/IMDB)
Deepika Padukone, currently one of Hindi cinema's most popular and acclaimed actors, had a less polished start when she made her debut in 'Om Shanti Om' in 2007.
Farah Khan had to make the decision to have another artist dub for Deepika's character Shantipriya in the film due to her diction not meeting the required standards. In an earlier interview with Komal Nahta, Farah recalled meeting Deepika and being confident that she would become a heroine in the industry.
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Farah Khan on Deepika Padukone in Om Shanti Om
Farah, in an earlier interview with Komal Nahta, recalled how she met Deepika and was certain that she was going to be a heroine. She said, "I had seen her in a Fanta ad and I thought then that this girl is going to be a heroine.”
“I spoke to her and I said I am making Happy New Year. I said 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.” The cast for Happy New Year was different at the time." she said.
Several months later, when Farah Khan decided to make 'Om Shanti Om,' she auditioned Deepika Padukone in the Amrapali outfit, the same attire she wore in the song "Dhoom Tanna.". “I wanted someone who could look like that era’s Hema Malini. I found that quality in her,” she recalled.
However, it wasn't a smooth journey for Deepika Padukone. Farah Khan mentioned that Deepika's voice was "really bad then" during the auditions for "Om Shanti Om." “Her diction was bad but when she did songs, her face would light up. She was very expressive with songs,” she said. Due to the challenges with Deepika Padukone's voice, another artist dubbed for her character in the film 'Om Shanti Om,' while the rest of the movie used sync sound. She said, “Everything else was sync sound but her voice was dubbed. She was doing diction classes, not very seriously. But she was doing dance class, diction class, Anupam Kher’s acting school. I enrolled her in everything,”
She added,“We were properly training her.”
Deepika Padukone had a big break with 'Om Shanti Om.' While she wasn't initially praised for her acting skills, people quickly recognized and admired her star-like presence on screen.
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