Deepika Padukone's Bollywood debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan proved to be a breakthrough. She featured in dual roles - Shantipriya, a leading actress of the 1970s, and later as Sandy, an aspiring actress. In preparation for her performance, Deepika watched several films of Helen and Hema Malini to study their body language and grace. 'Om Shanti Om' was a commercial success, and emerged as the highest grossing film of the year. Deepika won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut and received her first nomination in the Filmfare Award for Best Actress category.

The film documented the changing value of relationships among youth and had Deepika play the part of Meera Pandit, a head-strong career woman. Her performance was praised by the critics and audience alike. The film proved to be the third highest-grosser of 2009. Deepika received her second nomination in the Filmfare Award for Best Actress category.

Pradeep Sarkar's drama 'Lafangey Parindey' saw Deepika star opposite Neil Nitin Mukesh in the role of Pinky Palkar, a blind girl determined to win a skating competition. In preparation for her role, she observed the interactions of blind people and rehearsed scenes while blindfolded. Deepika's performance in the film helped change people's perception of her, with focus directed on her acting prowess rather than her appearance.

In a retelling of the 1930 Chittagong armoury raid, Abhishek Bachchan featured as the revolutionary leader Surya Sen and Deepika played Kalpana Dutta, his confidante. In an interview, Deepika said that she did not research for the role as there were hardly any reference points as to what Kalpana looked like other than a few photos and relied completely on Gowariker's direction. Her performance was praised by the critics, but the film underperformed at the box office.

The film marked a significant turning point in Deepika's career. Set in London, 'Cocktail' tells the story of a software engineer and his relationship with two temperamentally different women - an impulsive party girl (Veronica) and a submissive girl next door (Meera). During the script narration, the producer offered Deepika the choice of which woman to play, she decided on Veronica to expand her horizons as an actress. Critics were divided in their opinion of the film, but particularly praised Deepika's performance. Deepika earned Best Actress nominations at several award ceremonies, including Filmfare, Screen and IIFA.

Co-starring alongside Ranbir Kapoor, Kalki Koechlin and Aditya Roy Kapoor, she was cast as Naina Talwar, a shy wallflower, which marked a departure from the glamorous characters that she had a reputation for portraying. Film critics praised Deepika's performance, though their response to the film was mixed. The pairing of Deepika with her former boyfriend was highly anticipated, and the film proved a major success.

Rohit Shetty's action-comedy 'Chennai Express' marked her second film opposite Shah Rukh Khan. She played Meenalochini Azhagusundaram, a Tamil girl on the run from her father, which required that she adopt a Tamil accent. Critical opinion on her accent was mixed, but her performance received praise and was touted funnier than Khan's. 'Chennai Express' ranks among the highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time and Deepika was nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

She starred opposite Ranveer Singh in 'Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela', an adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy of Romeo and Juliet from director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Her played Leela, a Gujarati girl based on the character of Juliet. Her sizzling on-screen chemistry with Ranveer turned into a budding off-screen romance. She garnered rave reviews for her breath-taking appearance and her intense performance won her the first Filmfare Award in Best Actress category.

In Homi Adajania's 'Finding Fanny' Deepika played a young widow who takes a road trip with her dysfunctional friends in search of a woman named Fanny. Deepika looked gorgeous in every frame and her cool and casual portrayal of Angie suited the mood of the film.

Farah Khan's renewal of 'Happy New Year' saw Deepika work with Shah Rukh Khan for the third time. She played a bar dancer who trains a group of underachievers for a dance competition. She was praised by the critics for striking the right balance between humour and heartfelt emotion. The film turned out to be a blockbuster at the box office.

Deepika Padukone plays a Bengali architect in the comedy-drama 'Piku' (2015). The film tells the story of the short-tempered Piku Banerjee (Deepika), her grumpy, ageing father Bhashkor Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan) and Rana Chaudhary (Irrfan Khan), who is stuck between the father-daughter duo as they embark on a road trip to Kolkata. Deepika and Big B's performance was loved by the audience and critics alike

In Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus 'Bajirao Mastani', Deepika Padukone looks stunningly gorgeous as 'Mastani' and shines in her performance as a brave fighter and lover

Then came another masterpiece by Sanjay Leela Bhansali titled Padmaavat. This epic period drama starring Deepika, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in pivotal roles proved to the world why Deepika Padukone is the star that she is. The actress delivered a mind-blowing performance in the film, going on to win a number of awards for her portrayal of Rani Padmaavati.

Next up in Deepika Padukone's kitty is Chhapaak, a Meghna Gulzar-directorial. While the film hasn't released yet, looking at the posters and the trailer of the film, we're sure this too will be one of Deepika's most memorable performances. The actress has portrayed the role of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal in the film, and the film hits theatres on January 10, 2020.

Deepika Padukone was seen giving a stellar and nuanced performance in Gehraiyaan that deals with complex adult relationships