Today, she commands a fee of about Rs 1 crore and a portfolio that boasts of such names as Swiss watchmaker Tissot, Kingfisher Airlines, Levi Strauss, Parachute and Close-up, besides Pepsi and Fiama Di Wills—placing her at par with the top actresses of Bollywood. She owes her recent success to OSO.
Sumantro Chattopadhyay, Group Creative Director of O&M, says: “She was lucky to be launched in an SRK film that was marketed so well. OSO has made Padukone a household name.” However, a senior official at celebrity management company Bling Entertainment adds: “OSO has definitely boosted her image, but she was quite a rage in the ad world even before that. In fact, Kingfisher and Levi’s had signed her on before OSO.” Daughter of former badminton ace Prakash Padukone and a state-level player herself, Deepika chose modelling over badminton and the decision is paying off. Today, every step she takes is followed with interest. A series of link-ups—with cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni and actor Ranbir Kapoor—have only added to her mystique, and brand value. And she’s making hay while the sun shines.
— Anusha Subramanian
