Deepika Padukone Felt Hurt When People Ridiculed Her Accent In Her Debut Film Om Shanti Om

Deepika Padukone Says It Was Hugely Daunting To Enter The Film Industry At The Age Of 19

Deepika told India Today, "After hustling and grinding through the modelling world for some years, I finally got my big break in movies. I landed Om Shanti Om at the age of 19 and was immediately thrown into the deep end. My very first movie was a big-ticket, marquee project with the biggest names in the business. A debut one could only dream of! There was excitement and pressure at the same time and all of it was hugely daunting. I was extremely raw and unaware, but Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan held my hand and guided me throughout the entire process."

Deepika Padukone Was Heartbroken When People Made Fun Of Her Accent In The Film

She continued in her essay, "In 2007, when the film finally released, there was love and appreciation in abundance, but there was also a section of people who scathingly criticised my work, "Oh she is a model, she cannot act." My accent was made fun of. A lot was said and written about me and my craft, and, the truth is, all of it was extremely hurtful. When you are all of 21, these kind of brickbats most certainly affect you. But fortunately for me, my foundation provided me succour in the face of criticism and failure."

Criticism Fuels Deepika Padukone To Work Harder

"Criticism fuels me. It fuels me to work harder, to improve my skills and evolve the various aspects of my craft. More importantly, it fuels my personal evolution. Failure, too, has taught me a lot. I have often been put down, even written off. But I have never been bitter about these experiences. In fact, I am grateful,' Deepika added in her essay. The actress further said that it was her upbringing and sporting background that enabled her to sail through all of it.