'I had so many things to deal with': Deepika Padukone recalls her struggling days in Mumbai sans any filmy connection

Deepika Padukone has almost completed 16 long years in the industry. The actress made her debut with Om Shanti Om opposite Shah Rukh Khan in 2007. Ever since then, there has been no looking back for the actress as she proved herself to be one of the most celebrated and bankable actresses on the block. But all of this did not come to her overnight. She came to Mumbai as a teenager without any contact with the film industry. Padukone was left to survive all alone in the city when she started modeling and it was her hard work and determination that made her reach where she is today.

In a recent interaction with Vogue, the Cocktail actress recalled her struggling days when she had to fend for herself in Mumbai. Deepika said, “Back then, I had so many things to deal with, not just professionally but also personally. I was a teenager moving to a new city with no family or friends in a new industry. I had to figure out my meals (a time before Swiggy or Zomato, mind you) and transport, and lug my own bags around. I never thought of it as a burden back then. I’d finish late at night, exhausted, then carry my suitcase across town in a cab and sometimes fall asleep on the drive back home. My mother would be so worried about whether I would get home safe. Today when I look back at that journey, I think, ‘Not bad, girl! You did this and you did it on your own.’ But at that moment, there was no time to reflect.”

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Reflecting on her hardships without having any family members or contacts from the film industry, the Gehraiyaan actress said, “When you were an outsider 15 or 20 years ago, there was no other option. It’s an uphill task for any individual trying to make a mark in a field or profession that their parents don’t come from. The fact that we’ve started to articulate things like nepotism is a new trend. It existed then, it exists now and it will continue to exist. That was my reality.”

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In the same interview, Deepika also revealed that she will never shift base outside of India to have a global reach. The Padmaavat actress strictly maintained that India is her home and her address will never change to anywhere outside of her country. On the work front, she will soon be seen opposite Hrithik Roshan in Fighter.