The recent years have been remarkable for Deepika Padukone with respect to her career. She became the global ambassador for luxury brands like Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Qatar Airways and also Adidas and Levis. She delivered 2 very successful films, Pathaan and Jawan, unveiled the FIFA World Cup trophy during the World Cup finals in Qatar in 2022, and was one of the presenters at the prestigious 95th Academy Awards.
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Considering that she has worked in Hollywood alongside Vin Diesel for XXX: Return of Xander Cage and has a very impressive resume with ambassadorship for various international brands, one would think that she wants to settle down in the US. But that’s not the case. For Deepika Padukone, India is home and one doesn’t need to pack their bags and shift base to be able to make an impact in the world.
In an interview with Vogue India, Deepika spoke about how international brands are now entering the Indian market.
“India has always been here, it’s just taken the world this much time to sit up and notice our power. We’ve stuck to being authentic to who we are. This is not a bubble. It is not something that has been created overnight. What makes this time where India is finally being taken seriously as a player on the world map more meaningful is that it isn’t transient.”
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She shared that she received offers to move overseas to places like Paris, New York and Milan. But she chose to stay in India.
“Why do I need to move with bag and baggage to have global impact? Early on in my modelling career, I had an offer to move overseas and all of the fashion gurus in India said, ‘You shouldn’t be here, you should be in Paris, New York or Milan,’ and I was like, ‘No, those places are not my home. India is home.’”
Deepika also shed some light on the kind of struggles she had to face when she started working in the industry, which was mostly filled with ‘insiders’. But she had no choice but to hustle. And hustle she did!
“I had no choice. Back then, I had so many things to deal with, not just professionally but also personally. I was a teenager moving to a new city with no family or friends in a new industry. I had to figure out my meals (a time before Swiggy or Zomato, mind you) and transport, and lug my own bags around. I never thought of it as a burden back then. I’d finish late at night, exhausted, then carry my suitcase across town in a cab and sometimes fall asleep on the drive back home. My mother would be so worried about whether I would get home safe. Today when I look back at that journey, I think, ‘Not bad, girl! You did this and you did it on your own.’ But at that moment, there was no time to reflect.”
What an inspiring woman!