Farah Khan recently went down memory lane and revealed how she prepared Deepika Padukone before opening her movie “Om Shanti Om”. The producer of the film revealed that he made sure that the newbie gets a lot of training before starting in front of the camera on the side Shah Rukh Khan.In the latest episode of Farah Khan’s cooking video, the filmmaker and his chef Dilip visited actress Dia Mirza at her home. In their candid conversation, Dia reflected on her entry into Hindi cinema and compared it to the preparation that many newcomers receive today.Recalling what happened to her, Dia said: “The people you said you started, I used to hear stories about the love, care and attention you gave them.” Unke talks karwaye, lagwaye classes, tameez seekhayi ki acting kya hoti hai, karwaye dance classes (you made them go to talks, enrolled them in classes, taught them good manners and what real acting is, and even organized dance classes for them), diction coaching, I didn’t have anything like that.He also said that instead of being properly trained, he immediately started doing tedious work that usually took about 28 hours.
Months of preparation before Deepika Padukone faces the camera
Responding to Dia’s comments, Farah went into detail about what she did to groom Deepika Padukone before chanting “Om Shanti Om”. The director explained that he wants Deepika to feel fully prepared before she shares the screen space with the famous stars.Farah said, “Deepika, how I took care of you. Pehle toh maine usse 3-4 mahine Anupam Kher ki makalasi mein bheja, fir maine usese Kathak makalasi mein bheja (First, I sent her to Anupam Kher’s acting classes for three or four months. Later, I enrolled him in Kathak classes). We did a lot of visual tests. “According to Farah, the program was not limited to theater training but also dance training. Several video tests and interviews were also conducted to help Deepika gain confidence and understand what she wanted in a big Bollywood production.
Learning by watching Shah Rukh Khan on set
Farah also revealed that she delayed Deepika’s actual shooting schedule to give her extra time to understand the film’s progress. Instead of facing the camera, the aspiring actor was encouraged to only watch professional actors.Sharing the instructions given to Deepika, Farah said, “Uski shooting bhi I started 10 days later. I said 10 din toh aake (I also started shooting for 10 days later. I told her, ‘For the first 10 days, just come to the set’) and just stay there, see how Shah Rukh Khan is working, how Shreyas is working Tal.” Just come and be there every day.”Dia agreed with the approach, realizing that such exposure would go a long way in helping newcomers understand the craft and discipline required of the industry.
The first time that changed Deepika Padukone’s career
Released in 2007, ‘Om Shanti Om’ was directed by Farah Khan and featured Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in dual roles. The fantasy drama revolved around a young artist named Om who is reincarnated years after his murder and wants to reveal the truth after the death of famous actor Shantipriya. The film was a huge success of the year and was praised for its music, score and homage to Hindi cinema.For Deepika, the film turned out to be a dream come true. Her portrayals of the iconic actress Shantipriya and the modern-day Sandy were hugely popular, and instantly made her one of the most sought-after actresses in Bollywood. Following the success of ‘Om Shanti Om’, she also worked with Shah Rukh Khan in films like ‘Chennai Express’, ‘Happy New Year’, ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Jawan’.
Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika meet again
The iconic duo are now gearing up for their sixth collaboration with ‘King’. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the thriller also features Abhishek Bachchan, Suhana Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Raghav Juyal and Arshad Warsi in pivotal roles. The much-anticipated film is slated to hit the theaters on December 24, 2026, marking another chapter in Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone’s successful film partnership.