Deepika Padukone, the quintessential Bollywood diva, turns 35 today. As she celebrates another birthday, we are going to shower her with love and affection. Step 1, we are going to talk about our favourite performances by her. Deepika has had some extremely evident career defining moments since she made her premiere in Om Shanti Om in 2007. She refused to be written off as a simple good looking heroine. She made some tough choices and picked movie roles that will tap into her acting potential. She broke the stereotype that models cannot act. Well, this former model can certainly act and win awards for her performances. Shahid Kapoor’s Haider, Deepika Padukone’s Piku, Hrithik Roshan’s ZNMD – 10 Best Films of Bollywood From the Decade, Ranked As per Year of Release.

Looking back, we can pick 7 defining moments from her career that launched her into superstardom that she enjoys today. While pretty much most of her movies have been good, these 7 stand out in terms of scale or just her performance. A very happy birthday to Deepika. Without further ado, here are our picks. Deepika Padukone to Bring Alive Draupadi From 'Mahabharat' on Big Screen.

Om Shanti Om

Deepika made her Bollywood debut with this film directed by Farah Khan. Making a debut opposite a superstar like Shah Rukh Khan is all that a newcomer could ask for. The actress might not have impressed anybody with her acting chops in the film, but she proved that she had the makings of a star. Her screen presence was incredible. And she honed her craft as she went.

Cocktail

This performance pretty much came out of nowhere. The audience probably went in expecting a rom-com, but were blown away what Deepika brought to the table while playing Veronica. This is the movie that established her as a strong actor. She made the audience cry and laugh, while looking glamorous AF.

Piku

Deepika was fierce, funny, vulnerable and strong - all at the same time in this film. Starring opposite established strong actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan takes real talent. Deepika stood her ground was as good as her co-stars.

Ram Leela

Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika found each other through this film. Deepika also found her husband Ranveer Singh with this one, but that is a story for some other time. But Sanjay was able to tap into Deepika's unexplored potential as an actress. Her performance was as grand as the lavish sets of the film.

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

And once in a while, Deepika shows us that she can star in a fun movie and nail it. This film by Ayan Mukerji gave the actress ample opportunities to dance, be funny, be serious, look glamorous and just have lots of fun. Her earnest performance still hit home.

xXx: Return of Xander Cage

Deepika starred in this Hollywood film opposite Vin Diesel. She launched herself into global stardom with this one. She became quite a popular actress in the west, although she is yet to use the opportunity to its full advantage.

Padmaavat

The actress received death threats for playing this role. It was tougher to promote the film than it was to film it. But the actress braved through all odds along with the rest of the cast and crew. The movie turned out to be her highest revenue generating project.

In 2020, Deepika was seen playing the role of an acid attack survivor in Meghna Gulzar's directorial, Chhapaak. The movie was again a brave choice that Deepika made. She will be seen in future in a film with Prabhas, a Mahabharata adaption and Pathan with Shah Rukh Khan.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 05, 2021 11:38 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).