BAZAAR Spotlight: Meet The Stylish Bollywood Badass, Deepika Padukone

Everything you need to know about this stunning Indian actress who is conquering East and West

By Annabelle Fernandez - published 8 Aug 2017

You've probably seen her on the red carpet and in talk shows like The Late Late Show With James Corden, but don't take this lady lightly! Bollywood superstar, Deepika Padukone is someone that you should totally have on your radar because this lady is going to take Hollywood by storm. Needless to say, 31-year-old Deepika is one of the most stunning ladies out there, starting out her career as a model for various local commercials in India, before eventually being scouted and skyrocketing to super-stardom. Though she is a household name in South Asia, she is only now garnering international attention as she finally made her debut in a Western film. With her killer looks and down-to-earth personality, Hollywood will be wrapped around her fingers in no time. Currently her Instagram (@deepikapadukone) is already at a whopping 19.2 million followers and she is not slowing down any time soon.

Here are 5 things you need to know about this gorgeous actress and her chic and modern style:

1. Deepika's big break in Bollywood was actually due to a rejection.

Needless to say, we have to start at the very beginning with Deepika's incredible success in India's entertainment industry. She has starred in over 30 movies in India, in various languages. But her big break into commercial success is arguably when she starred opposite Bollywood God, Shah Rukh Khan in the 2007 film "Om Shanti Om". The funny thing is that Deepika was initially supposed to be starring in another film called "Saawariya" that was set to premiere the same time as "Om Shanti Om". However, she was rejected at the final round of auditions and serendipitously landed "Om Shanti Om" instead. It became the biggest blockbuster hit that year, earning over US$1.5 billion at the Box Office worldwide. The stars were certainly shining for Deepika!

2. Deepika is hyper commited to performing her own stunts and learning everything first hand.

She has starred in several action films (in fact, her Hollywood debut was one too) and she is not one to shy away from physical training and performing her own stunts. Despite her glamourous appearance, Deepika is far from a girly-girl and is not afraid to get her hands dirty for a role. In the Hindi film "Chandni Chowk to China", Deepika trained for months on end to master the Japanese martial art form, Jiu-jitsu and performed all the stunts in the film solo, without a stunt double. For her role of warrior Princess Mastani in "Bajirao Mastani", she learnt sword fighting, horse riding and the ancient martial arts "Kalaripayattu". She even learnt a traditional and extremely technical Indian dance called "Kathak" that emphasizes graceful, small movements and emotive expressions for the role. You can watch that dance sequence above (the set and costumes are equal feasts for the eyes). That, ladies and gentlemen, is why Deepika is a total badass.

3. Deepika is a state level athlete.

On top of her giant list of acting achievements and accolades, she is also a pro athlete. Just like her father, who was a national badminton player, Deepika is a state level badminton player too, inheriting her dad's athletic skills. That is not all, much less known to most, Deepika is also a state level baseball player, competing in tournaments before her acting days. Seriously, what can this woman not do?

4. Her Hollywood debut was opposite Vin Diesel.

After securing her success in Bollywood, Deepika was itching to swim with the big fish in Hollywood. She enjoyed the challenge as not many Indian actors who tried to cross the oceans survived. Her first Hollywood debut was in the popular series " XXX: Return Of Xander Cage", starring opposite Vin Diesel. It was the perfect fit for such a fearless actress who was ready to execute any stunt. Deepika received a warm response for her debut and was praised by many, especially her own fans for keeping her authentic Indian accent when speaking in English. While many tried to assimilate by adopting a more Western accent, Deepika kept it real by being herself, which made us love her even more.

5. Deepika's style is ultra chic and modern with an affinity for oversized pieces.

Most of the time, if she isn't making a red carpet appearance or attending an event, Deepika dresses pretty casual. With a body and face like that, you can make anything look good, let's be real here. However, Deepika tends to favour oversized garments with pops of colours that hang loose, but have a sophiticated cut. She loves large, slinky coats, palazzo pants and roomy summer dresses. Sunglasses are, of course, a must! It's all about comfort, whilst looking chic.

Her everyday beauty look is low maintenance too, as she prioritises comfort over anything else. Often times, she goes bare faced and lets her sunglasses be her "makeup" for the day. For her quick makeup looks, Deepika opts for concealer to even out her skintone as deeper skintones tend to suffer from more hyperpigmentation issues. She also places emphasis on her brows with some filling in and a little tinted gel for a feathered brow look. Mascara and a nude lips are next and that's about it. Her glam looks are more experimental as her face is the perfect canvas for any makeup artist, but she is often sporting a bold red lip as well as a smokey, kohl-smudged eyes.