Deepika Padukone (pronounced [d̪iːpɪkaː pəɖʊkoːɳ]; born 5 January 1986)
is an Indian film actress and model. She has established a successful
career in Bollywood films, and is cited in the media as one of the most
popular and attractive Indian celebrities. Padukone, the daughter of the
badminton player Prakash Padukone, was born in Copenhagen and raised in
Bangalore. As a teenager she played badminton in national level
championships, but left her career in sport to become a fashion model.
She soon received offers for film roles, and made her acting debut in
2006 as the titular character of the Kannada film Aishwarya. Padukone
then played dual roles in her first Bollywood release the 2007
blockbuster Om Shanti Om—and won a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.