Deepika Padukone borrowed ₹10,000 from her mother to launch her career
Synopsis
Before the blockbusters and the Hollywood red carpets, Deepika Padukone sat her mother down and asked to borrow ₹10,000 for a portfolio shoot — with a promise to make the family proud. That origin story, shared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, is a reminder that one of Bollywood's biggest careers began with a loan and a leap of faith.
Key Takeaways
Deepika Padukone borrowed ₹10,000 from her mother early in her career to fund a portfolio shoot.
She revealed the story during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show , timed to her Hollywood debut in XXX: The Return of Xander Cage .
Deepika said she knew by age 16 that she wanted to be an actress, citing the joy of being in front of a camera.
Her father, Prakash Padukone , encouraged her to 'follow your heart' rather than replicate his badminton career.
She made her Bollywood debut with Om Shanti Om (2007) and has since starred in landmark films through Kalki 2898 AD (2024).
Deepika is next set to star alongside Shah Rukh Khan in the anticipated film King .
Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone once borrowed ₹10,000 from her mother to shoot a portfolio at the start of her career, promising to repay the money and make her family proud — a candid revelation she made during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, timed around her Hollywood debut in XXX: The Return of Xander Cage.
The ₹10,000 That Started It All
'I sat my mother down one day and said, 'Can I please borrow ₹10,000 from you? I needed money to shoot a portfolio. I told them one day I'd make them proud, and someday I'd repay them,' Deepika recalled on the show. The anecdote offers a rare glimpse into the early financial hustle behind one of Hindi cinema's most successful careers. By the time she was 16, Deepika had already decided she wanted to be an actress, driven by what she described as the sheer happiness of being in front of a camera.
Her Father's Legacy and Her Own Path
Speaking to host Ellen DeGeneres, Deepika also reflected on her father, legendary badminton champion Prakash Padukone, and the quiet courage it took for him to pursue professional sport at a time when most young Indians were steered toward conventional professions. 'He played at a time in India when nobody really played professional badminton… everybody wanted to become a doctor or a lawyer, but he was a sportsperson,' she said.
When asked whether she had considered following in his footsteps, Deepika said her father always encouraged her to chart her own course. 'I would have made him happy but he always said, follow your heart,' she noted. That philosophy evidently shaped her decision to pursue acting against the grain of her sporting household.
From Om Shanti Om to Kalki: A Career in Milestones
Deepika made her Bollywood debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om in 2007, and has since featured in a string of commercially and critically significant films — including Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), Chennai Express (2013), Piku (2015), Bajirao Mastani (2015), Padmaavat (2018), Chhapaak (2020), Pathaan (2023), Jawan (2023), and Kalki 2898 AD (2024). The range and consistency of that filmography cement her status as one of Bollywood's most bankable leading women.
What's Next for Deepika
Deepika is reportedly set to reunite with Shah Rukh Khan in the highly anticipated film King, rekindling one of Hindi cinema's most commercially potent on-screen partnerships. With her trajectory from a ₹10,000 portfolio loan to a cross-continental film career, the upcoming project represents another chapter in a story that has consistently exceeded expectations.
Point of View
000 anecdote works as more than a feel-good origin story — it surfaces something the Bollywood success narrative routinely obscures: the unglamorous early grind that precedes the brand deals and red-carpet appearances. Deepika Padukone has built a carefully curated public image, and moments of genuine vulnerability, like this one, land precisely because they are rare. The more interesting thread, however, is the Prakash Padukone parallel — a father who defied convention to pursue sport, and a daughter who defied sporting lineage to pursue cinema. Both bets paid off; the family's willingness to back unconventional choices twice over may be the real story here.
NationPress
12 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Deepika Padukone borrow ₹10,000 from her mother?
Deepika Padukone borrowed ₹10,000 from her mother at the start of her career to fund a portfolio shoot, which she needed to pursue modelling and acting. She promised to repay the amount and make her family proud, as she revealed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
When did Deepika Padukone appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show?
Deepika appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show around the time of her Hollywood debut in XXX: The Return of Xander Cage. During the interview she discussed her father Prakash Padukone's badminton career, her own acting ambitions, and the early financial steps she took to break into the industry.
Who is Deepika Padukone's father and what is his background?
Deepika's father is Prakash Padukone, a celebrated Indian badminton champion. Deepika has described him as a pioneer who pursued professional badminton at a time when it was not a conventional career choice in India, and he encouraged her to follow her own passion rather than replicate his path.
What films has Deepika Padukone appeared in?
Deepika debuted with Om Shanti Om (2007) alongside Shah Rukh Khan and has since starred in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Chennai Express, Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Chhapaak, Pathaan, Jawan, and Kalki 2898 AD, among others.
What is Deepika Padukone's next film?
Deepika Padukone is reportedly set to star alongside Shah Rukh Khan in King, a highly anticipated upcoming film that would mark another collaboration between the two actors.
