Deepika Padukone
Actor
One of the highest-paid actors in Bollywood was featured on the April cover of American Vogue and has become a red carpet mainstay by mixing Parisian haute couture labels with homegrown Indian designers.

Deepika Padukone is an Indian actress and producer. The highest-paid actress in India, she is one of the nation's most popular personalities, named one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018 by Time. Padukone is an active celebrity endorser for several brands and products, including Tissot, Maybelline, Coca-Cola, and L'Oréal Paris, among others, and has become known for her personal style, mixing Western luxury fashion labels with homegrown Indian designers.
The daughter of the badminton player Prakash Padukone, she was born in Copenhagen and raised in Bangalore. As a teenager, she played badminton in national level championships but left her sporting career to model before pursuing acting. In her first Bollywood film “Om Shanti Om” in 2007, Padukone played a dual role opposite Shah Rukh Khan, and won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Her first project in Hollywood came in 2017 with the action film “XXX: Return of Xander Cage.” Padukone later won two more Filmfare Awards for Best Actress in 2013 and 2015.
She has written weekly lifestyle columns for the Hindustan Times, and has a womenswear clothing line sold through myntra.com. Vocal about issues such as feminism and depression, she also founded the Live Love Laugh Foundation in 2015, which raises awareness for mental health in India. Padukone also became brand ambassador for the Indian Psychiatric Society in 2016. Padukone is chairperson of the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image and, in 2019, formed her own production company KA Entertainment.
Padukone is married to frequent co-star Ranveer Singh. In November 2018, the pair married in Lake Como, Italy, in traditional Konkani and Sindhi ceremonies, which garnered much press attention.
VITAL STATISTICS
Can Global Brands See Beyond Bollywood in India?
Actors are a particularly effective way of reaching Indian consumers, but fashion brands should consider widening the net to include other famous faces like local musicians, athletes and celebrity influencers, say marketing experts.
Market Analysis: Is This Luxury’s Watershed Moment in India?
Brands like Dior and Valentino are banking on India’s high growth potential, but it will take more than dazzling shows and sleek stores to turn this complex market into a major revenue source.
The BoF Podcast | Deepika Padukone on the Power of Patience
BoF’s founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed speaks with the BoF 500 cover star about the ups and downs of her personal and professional trajectory and what the West needs to understand about India and its rich, diverse culture.
The BoF Podcast | Deepika Padukone on the Power of Patience
BoF’s founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed speaks with the BoF 500 cover star about the ups and downs of her personal and professional trajectory and what the West needs to understand about India and its rich, diverse culture.
Deepika Padukone: The Bollywood Star That Fashion’s Megabrands Are Betting On
With India set to become the world’s third-largest fashion market, Bollywood’s most-popular actress has become a global brand ambassador for the likes of Levi’s, Adidas, Louis Vuitton and now, Cartier. In an exclusive interview with Imran Amed, she opens up about her global ambitions — and what the fashion world needs to understand about India.
Deepika Padukone: The Bollywood Star That Fashion’s Megabrands Are Betting On
With India set to become the world’s third-largest fashion market, Bollywood’s most-popular actress has become a global brand ambassador for the likes of Levi’s, Adidas, Louis Vuitton and now, Cartier. In an exclusive interview with Imran Amed, she opens up about her global ambitions — and what the fashion world needs to understand about India.
Deepika Padukone Is Cartier’s Newest Ambassador
The Bollywood actress and BoF 500 cover star signals the French jewellery house’s ambitions to broaden its reach among Indian consumers, both domestically and abroad.
The Power of African Brand Ambassadors
Celebrity marketing has fallen out of favour during the pandemic. But when the strategy makes a comeback global brands need to act fast to tap more African influencers to access high-growth markets like Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.
Luxury Brands Need Better Strategies for Bollywood. Here’s Why.
Global brands are hungry for a bigger slice of India’s $30 billion luxury market but they aren’t exploiting the country’s colossal film industry to its full potential.
A Humble Fabric Helped India Fight British Rule. Now It's Big Business.
From Levi’s and Gap to Issey Miyake, global brands are tapping the business potential of khadi, the fabric promoted by Mahatma Gandhi during India’s struggle for independence.
The BoF Podcast: Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Deepika Padukone on India’s Astonishing Wedding Industry
To mark the recent launch of BoF's latest print issue celebrating 'Modern Entrepreneurs," Imran Amed sits down with leading Indian bridal designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and actress Deepika Padukone to discuss India's $50 billion bridal market.
The BoF Podcast: Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Deepika Padukone on India’s Astonishing Wedding Industry
To mark the recent launch of BoF's latest print issue celebrating 'Modern Entrepreneurs," Imran Amed sits down with leading Indian bridal designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and actress Deepika Padukone to discuss India's $50 billion bridal market.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee: King of India’s Bridal Market
The designer, whose bridal pieces are worn by India’s billionaire heiresses and Bollywood superstars, has built a luxury brand that’s set to generate $35 million in revenue in 2019. Now, he’s on a quest to tap the lucrative fine jewellery market and take his business global.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee: King of India’s Bridal Market
The designer, whose bridal pieces are worn by India’s billionaire heiresses and Bollywood superstars, has built a luxury brand that’s set to generate $35 million in revenue in 2019. Now, he’s on a quest to tap the lucrative fine jewellery market and take his business global.
What is The BoF 500?
The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
