Deepika Padukone is one of the top actors in the Hindi film industry. She made her debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the 2007 blockbuster Om Shanti Om, and since then, her career graph has only soared higher each year. Interestingly, Deepika shares a connection with another actor who also made her debut in Om Shanti Om. The two tied the knot the same year (2018) and welcomed daughters the same year (2024). But their professional journeys couldn’t be more different. The actor we’re talking about is none other than Yuvika Chaudhary.
Yuvika and Deepika starred in Himesh Reshammiya’s album
In a recent interview, Yuvika reflected on this uncanny connection between her and Deepika. She recalled how both featured in different songs from singer Himesh Reshammiya’s popular music album Aap Kaa Surroor before entering films with Om Shanti Om. While Deepika appeared in the hit track “Naam Hai Tera,” Yuvika featured in “Wada Tainu.”
Speaking about this shared timeline, Yuvika told Hindi Rush, “I didn’t notice these many similarities in our lives. This is destiny. There is definitely some connection. We featured in Himesh Reshammiya’s album in which she featured in one song and I featured in another. We used to sit together and chill at that time.”
Talking about her experience working with Deepika, she added, “She is very hard working and a very nice girl. She is passionate for work. It feels nice to see her in interviews and sometimes I would get angry when people would troll her.”
Yuvika supports Deepika’s demand for 8-hour workdays
Yuvika also weighed in on Deepika Padukone’s reported disagreement with filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga regarding her preference for an 8-hour work schedule post-motherhood. Yuvika revealed she herself had turned down good projects to prioritize her family.
“14-18 hours are gone during shooting then you don’t get time to live your life,” she said. “It’s not easy to become a mother and then to work after becoming a mom is not at all easy. She loves work that’s why she is willing to work. She deserves that much respect after she has worked for so many years. She is right, she should get that time. People shouldn’t be this ruthless. This journey is difficult, they should support.”
Diverging career paths
After debuting in Om Shanti Om, Yuvika appeared in films like Summer 2007, Toh Baat Pakki!, Naughty @ 40, Khap, Enemmy, and others—none of which made a significant mark at the box office. She also had a role in the Akshay Kumar-led multi-starrer The Shaukeens, but that too failed to succeed commercially. With her film career not taking off, Yuvika shifted her focus to television. She participated in reality shows like India’s Best Cinestars Ki Khoj, Bigg Boss 9, MTV Splitsvilla 10, and Nach Baliye 9, which she won alongside her husband Prince Narula. She was last seen in the 2022 TV show Cyber Vaar.
Story continues below this ad
Meanwhile, after Om Shanti Om, Deepika starred in Bachna Ae Haseeno opposite Ranbir Kapoor and quickly became one of the most sought-after female stars in Bollywood. She headlined films opposite major stars such as Akshay Kumar (Chandni Chowk to China), Saif Ali Khan (Love Aaj Kal), Farhan Akhtar (Karthik Calling Karthik), and Irrfan (Piku). She reunited with Shah Rukh Khan for Chennai Express, and more recently in Pathaan, Jawan, and the upcoming The King.
