Did You Know Deepika Padukone didn't audition for Shah Rukh Khan's Om Shanti Om? Actress reveals never feeling like outsider

Deepika Padukone made her Hindi cinema debut with the Farah Khan-directed 2007 film Om Shanti Om. She co-starred with Shah Rukh Khan in the romance fantasy film. She spoke about the 'insider-outsider' debate at the WAVES 2025 Summit.

At the Waves Summit 2025, Bollywood star Deepika Padukone opened up about the insider-outsider conversation in the film industry, reflecting on her journey from Bangalore to becoming one of the most recognized faces in Indian cinema. Speaking alongside Shah Rukh Khan and filmmaker Karan Johar, Deepika addressed the topic with honesty and personal insight.

When the subject of nepotism came up, she acknowledged how terms like “insider” and “outsider” are more commonly discussed today than when she started out. Sharing her own experience, she said, “These are terms that we seem to be discussing now… insider or outsider… When I began, it was just a new world. I was a seventeen-year-old girl who came from Bangalore.”

Deepika spoke about her debut in the Kannada film Aishwarya and how her Bollywood journey began unexpectedly. She revealed that Farah Khan had shown interest in casting her without even conducting an audition. “Farah Khan showed interest in casting me in a movie. I was transitioning between Bangalore and Mumbai. She did not even audition me. I remember doing a meeting with her once, and she said, ‘I want you to meet Shah Rukh once.’ He was shooting for Chak De! in Australia at that time. She said we’d do a meeting once he was back. That was it. For me, it just happened,” Deepika said.

She also credited her modeling background for opening some doors, but emphasized that it was her hard work and passion that truly helped her succeed. “Of course, I was a model before that. They had seen some of my work. But I never felt that I was an outsider trying to make my place in a new industry. I had the dedication, passion, determination, and hard work. Those were the things that were in my control. Those were the things that had applied to what I was passionate about.”

Adding his perspective to the debate, Shah Rukh Khan expressed that he did not believe the insider-outsider label should carry so much weight. He felt it was unimportant where a person comes from and that what truly matters is how one carves out their space in the industry. 

Recalling his own story, Shah Rukh mentioned that he never allowed himself to feel like an outsider and always believed the industry was his to be part of. He also emphasized that being stuck in the mindset of being an outsider can hold one back, as the world is indifferent to one's background — what matters most is effort and persistence.

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