Who is Deepika Padukone? Facts to Know about the New “xXx: Return of Xander Cage” Star!

Deepika Padukone is a star on the rise. She’s had her share of international hits, but Deepika Padukone is set to crack the Hollywood market with her upcoming appearance in xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, with Vin Diesel. With her extensive background in acting, Deepika Padukone is set to make a large mark on audiences everywhere.

If you haven’t heard of Deepika Padukone, you likely will. After over a decade in the modeling and acting business in her home country of India, Deepika Padukone has scored international hits, won awards, and is now being courted by Hollywood! In January 2017, she’s set to hit the big screens in the third installment of the xXx series, The Return of Xander Cage, along with action film veteran, Vin Diesel. So if you’re wondering, “Who is Deepika Padukone?” here’s a Deepika Padukone wiki with some key information on her background, accomplishments and early beginnings.

Born in Denmark—Despite being a cornerstone of the Bollywood film scene and being an Indian citizen, Deepika Padukone was actually born on January 5, 1986 in Denmark, right in the capital of Copenhagen. However, Padukone’s family returned to India shortly after her birth, settling in the city of Bangalore in the state of Karnataka.

A Legacy of Badminton—In an alternative universe, Deepika Padukone is a badminton player. It might sound ludicrous, but her father Prakash Padukone is a renowned international badminton player, as was her paternal grandfather Ramesh. When she was young, Deepika Padukone was groomed into the same sport as her father and underwent serious training up until she reached her early teenage years, when Padukone took up modeling and eventually, acting.

While she is no longer involved with badminton, Deepika Padukone stays close with her family, including her mother Ujalla, who is a travel agent.

Big-Screen Success—After dropping out of Indira Gandhi National Open University where she was studying sociology, Deepika Padukone took up fashion model work, eventually gaining work in music videos. This led to her appearing in movies, most notably with her debut in the hit 2007 film, Om Shanti Om, which she appeared in with her ex-boyfriend, Nihar Pandya. It was the year’s highest earning film and Padukone followed it up with hits like Bachna Ae Haseeno, Love Aaj Kal and the big 2012 hit, Cocktail. Padukone played a London-based party girl and many critics noted how well she played a broken down, would-be socialite. She further gained praise for her following films which included, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Chennai Express. While these were all hits, she further gained the attention of critics for her performance, her ability to adopt other accents such as Tamil, and of course, her natural beauty.

There’s no question that some Deepika Padukone Bollywood movies haven’t done as well as they should have. The kung-fu comedy, Chandni Chowk to China and the comedy Desi Boyz in the early 2010’s didn’t fare well with audiences or critics. It took the arrival of Cocktail to not only revive Padukone’s career, but make her a true international film phenomenon.

Her Own Critic—Many are quick to lump Padukone into the Bollywood entertainment pocket, and see her as just another pretty face in the crowd. But Deepika Padukone has been keen to flex her mental muscles as much as her entertainment ones. She’s penned columns about feminism, women’s rights and female health issues (including anxiety, depression and suicide prevention) for publications like The Hindustan Times. Padukone has also been involved with charities via marathon runs and has also launched her own line of clothing. Away from films, she’s also done endorsements for brands such as Tissot, Pepsi, Vogue Eyewear, and reportedly a $12 million deal with Garnier—one of the largest endorsements ever given to an Indian actress!

xXx Rated—If you’ve read the previews or viewed the xXx: Return of the Xander Cage trailer, you’ll see Vin Diesel and Deepika Padukone featured prominently, with Diesel’s Xander Cage up against mercenary-for-hire, Serena Unger. You’ll also see her being supported by other acclaimed international stars such as Ruby Rose, Toni Collette and Samuel L. Jackson. Hence there’s much prediction that Deepika Padukone stands to gain an even bigger boost to her career from this film. Fans are already gearing up to see her performance, while critics are keen to see what roles she can further gain as a result of her involvement with xXx: Return of the Xander Cage.