Coordinates: 28°39′22″N 77°13′52″E / 28.656°N 77.231°E / 28.656; 77.231

Chandni Chowk, Delhi, 1858.

Chandni Chowk (Urdu: چاندنی چوک), originally meaning moonlit square or market, is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, now in central north Delhi, India. Built in 17th century by the great Muslim Emperor of India, Shah Jahan and designed by his daughter Jahan Ara, the market was once divided by canals to reflect moonlight, now closed, yet it still remains one of India's largest whole sale markets.^[1]

History[link]

Red Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Chandni Chowk

Chandni Chowk is the major street in the walled city of Old Delhi, which was originally called Shahjahanabad. The walled city, which includes the Lal Qila or Red Fort of Delhi, was established in 1650 AD by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. It was designed by his daughter Jahanara Begum Sahib, who also made significant contributions in the landscaping of her father's new capital.

Chandni Chowk runs through the middle of the walled city, from the Lahori Darwaza (Lahore Gate) of the Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid. Originally, a canal ran through the middle of the street as a part of the water supply scheme. It was initially divided into three sections:^[2]

1. Lahori darwaza to Chowk Kotwali (near Gurdwara Shish Ganj): This section closest to the imperial residence, was called Urdu Bazar, i.e., the encampment market. The language Urdu got its name from this encampment. Ghalib noted the destruction of this market during the disturbances of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and its aftermath.
2. Chowk Kotwali to Chandni Chowk: The term Chandni Chowk originally referred to the square that initially had a reflecting pool. It was replaced by a clock-tower (Ghantaghar) that was damaged and demolished in the 1960s.^[3][4] This section was originally called Johri Bazar.
3. 'Chandni Chowk' to Fatehpuri Masjid: This was called the Fatehpuri Bazar.

It is said that moonlight reflecting on its canal, earned it its name, Chandni (Moonlit).^[5]

Chandni Chowk was once the grandest of the markets in India.^[6]

Chandni Chowk, Delhi, 1863-67.

The Mughal imperial processions used to pass through Chandni Chowk. The tradition was continued when Delhi Durbar was held in 1903.

Procession of the Emperor Bahadur Shah II, 1843

Procession of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra as Emperor and Empress of India, 1903 Delhi Durbar

Even though today Chandni Chowk appears choked with congestion, it retains its historical character. The following terms are generally used to describe the buildings and the streets:^[7]

• Haveli: a mansion. A normal haveli would have a big courtyard (atrium) surrounded on four sides by spacious rooms and often another walled courtyard around the exterior as well. One of the largest preserved havelis in the area is the Chunnamal haveli.
• Kucha: a zone with houses whose owners shared some common attribute, usually their occupation. Hence the names Maliwara, the gardeners' neighborhood and Ballimaran, the oarsmen’s neighborhood.
• Katra: refers to a separate wing of tradesmen and craftsmen belonging to the same trade. They usually lived and worked together. A system similar to the guild housing in Amsterdam.And it was shown as a favourite city of khushi kumari gupta and home city of arnav singh raizaada in serial iss pyaar ko kya naam doon.

Overview[link]

The area lies in the historically important Shahjahanabad, between the Lal Qila (The Red Fort) and Fatehpuri Masjid. On both sides of the wide Chandni Chowk streets are historical residential areas served by narrow lanes (galis).

With the most famous mosque of Delhi, Jama Masjid, built in 1650 in the vicinity, it is an unusual street that has several famous religious shrines, belonging to different religions, that coexist, lending the street a genuine cultural harmony. Starting from the Red fort, the street has:

Lal Jain Mandir, Chandni Chowk

• Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, established in 1656 with a bird hospital established in 1929. There is also a Naya Mandir built in 1807 nearby in Dharampura, which was the first temple with a shikhar permitted.
• Hindu Gauri Shankar Temple^[8] built by a Maratha general Appa Gandgadhar in 1761.
• Christian Central Baptist Church built in 1814.

Gurudwara Sisganj

• Sikh Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib. The 9th Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur and his followers Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Dyal Das and Bhai Sati Das were executed nearby by the Mughals in 1675 A.D. The Gurudwaras in the form of memorials were built in 1783 after Delhi, the then Mughal capital, was captured by the Khalsa(the corporate body of Sikhs) under the command of Baba Baghel Singh.
• Muslim Sunehri Masjid built in 1721 by Roshan-ud-Daula Zafar Khan in the reign of Mohammad Shah. The Persian invader Nadir Shah spent several hours on the top of the mosque on 11 March 1739 to observe the Katl-e-Aam (the killing of everyone in sight) that he had ordered which resulted in 30,000 deaths.
• Muslim Fatehpuri Masjid built by Fatehpuri Begum in 1650, one of the queens of Shah Jahan.

Jama Masjid, Delhi, 1852.

Chandni Chowk's specialty is the variety of its markets and their Indian-ness. From authentic Indian food, delicacies and sweets of more than 1,000 kinds, to sarees with chikan and zari work. There are lots of narrow lanes with many shops selling books, clothing, shoes and leather goods, electronic and consumer goods and whatnot. The area, even more so than the rest of the city, is very congested. This is also a good place for window shopping. It is the location of the original Haldiram's. A particular local delicacy are the jalebis, which are fried in pure ghee (clarified butter).

Gali Parathe Wali in Chandni Chowk is known for its parathas, Dec 2006.

Chandni Chowk is home to several famous restaurants/confectioners (halwais).^[9]

• The Ghantewala Halwai, established in 1790.
• Natraj’s Dahi Bhalle, established in 1940.
• Kanwarji Bhagirathmal Dalbijiwallah established in mid-19th century.
• Chaatwallah established in 1923, famous for fruit chaat.
• Bikaner Sweet Shop famous for rasmalai.
• Gianiji ka Falooda famous for Rabri Falooda, established around 1947.
• Paranthe wali Gali with paratha shops from 1875-1886.^[10]
• Meghraj and Sons, since 1950s (?)
• Chainaram established in 1948

Some of the historical mansions include:^[11][12]

• Begum Samru's Palace of 1806 (see [1])now called Bhagirath Palace.
• Naughara mansions in Kinari Bazaar, 18th century Jain mansions.
• Khazanchi haveli, khajanchi were the accountants of Shah Jahan. There is a street named after them called "Gali Khajanchi", a long underground tunnel connects the haveli and the red fort, so that money could be transferred safely.
• Haveli of Mirza Ghalib, Gali Kasim Jan (Gali Ballimaran)
• Chunnamal haveli, Katra Neel
• Haveli of Zinat Mahal, Lal Kuan Bazar
• Haksar Haveli, Bazar Sitaram, where Jawaharlal Nehru was married in 1916 to Kamla Nehru.
• Haveli Naharwali, Kucha Sadullah Khan, where Pervez Musharraf, former president of Pakistan was born.

Chandni Chowk in Indian films[link]

Gauri Shankar Mandir

A typically congested scene along Chawri Bazar in the Chandni Chowk area, March 2006.

Chandni Chowk was featured in the 2001 Bollywood film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham where the leading lady Anjali (Kajol) and her sister Pooja (Kareena Kapoor) lived. Though portrayed as a neighborhood populated by a lower-class population, Chandni Chowk is shown to be a rich, cultural hub.

Town Hall, Chandni Chowk with Swami Shraddhanand statue

The 2008 Bollywood movie Black and White starring Anil Kapoor, Anurag Sinha, Shefali Chhaya, and Aditi Sharma is set in Chandni Chowk. Crew stayed in Hotel Tara Palace opposite Red Fort.

The 2009 Bollywood movie Chandni Chowk to China starring Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Mithun Chakraborty, and Ranvir Shorey features some scenes depicting the city. Crew stayed in Hotel Tara Palace opposite Red Fort.

The 2009 Bollywood movie Delhi-6 starring Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Om Puri, Atul Kulkarni and Divya Dutta is set in the ancient Walled City of Old Delhi and centred around Chandni Chowk.Crew stayed in Hotel Tara Palace opposite Red Fort.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chandni Chowk

See also[link]

• Dariba Kalan
• Central Baptist Church
• Gali paranthe walee
• Jainism in Delhi

Further reading[link]

• Delhi, the emperor's city: rediscovering Chandni Chowk and its environs, by Vijay Goel. Lustre Press, 2003. ISBN 81-7436-240-1.

References[link]

1. ^ "Delhi- 100 years as the Capital". The Hindu. Feb 01, 2011. http://www.hindu.com/yw/2011/02/01/stories/2011020150210200.htm. 
2. ^ Encyclopaedic Survey of Islamic Culture: Growth & Development By Mohamed Taher, Anmol Publications, 1998
3. ^ http://www.imagesofasia.com/html/india/chandni-chowk.html Old Delhi Clock Tower built in 1857
4. ^ http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/03/26/stories/2007032600070200.htm The mystique of clock towers
5. ^ Chandni Chowk
6. ^ Chandni Chowk Scenes from 1814-1876
7. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20071118150017/www.chandnichowk.com/landmark2.htm The Havelis, Kuchas and Katras of Chandni Chowk
8. ^ "Gauri Shankar Temple". http://d2i.in/visit/Gauri-Shankar-Temple_Chandni-Chowk_Delhi-NCR_Pilgrimage/2665. 
9. ^ Chowk and cheese http://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/2008/sep/280908-Features-Sweets-roza-Chandni-Chowk.htm
10. ^ http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20021110/spectrum/eat.htm Frozen paranthas posing a challenge to Paranthewali Gali fare
11. ^ Havelis of Old Delhi/Text by Pavan K. Varma and Sondeep Shankar. Reprint, First published in 1992. New Delhi, Bookwise, 1999
12. ^ Itihas ki dastan hain, Dilli ki havelian http://epaper.hindustandainik.com/blog/uploaded_images/historical_monument_resembles_delhi_haveli-765785.jpg

External links[link]

• Chandni Chowk's website
• For travellers
• Small Description
• Traditional House in Chandni Chowk

James Beeland Rogers, Jr.
Born	(1942-10-19) October 19, 1942 (age 69) Baltimore, Maryland, USA[1]
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford Yale University
Occupation	Chairman of Rogers Holdings and Beeland Interests, Inc. Co-founder of the Quantum Fund
Website
www.jimrogers.com

James Beeland Rogers, Jr. (born October 19, 1942) is an American investor and author. He is currently based in Singapore. Rogers is the Chairman of Rogers Holdings and Beeland Interests, Inc. He was the co-founder of the Quantum Fund with George Soros and creator of the Rogers International Commodities Index (RICI).

Rogers is an outspoken proponent of the free market, but he does not consider himself a member of any school of thought. Rogers acknowledged, however, that his views best fit the label of Austrian School of economics.^[2][3]

Early life and education[link]

Rogers was born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised in Demopolis, Alabama.^[1][4] He started in business at the age of five by selling peanuts and by picking up empty bottles that fans left behind at baseball games. He got his first job on Wall Street, at Dominick & Dominick, after graduating with a bachelor's degree in History from Yale University in 1964. Rogers then acquired a second BA degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Balliol College, Oxford University in 1966.

Business career[link]

1970-2002[link]

In 1970, Rogers joined Arnhold and S. Bleichroder. In 1973, Rogers co-founded the Quantum Fund with George Soros. During the following 10 years, the portfolio gained 4200% while the S&P advanced about 47%.^[5] The Quantum Fund was one of the first truly international funds.

In 1980, Rogers decided to "retire", and spent some of his time traveling on a motorcycle around the world. Since then, he has been a guest professor of finance at the Columbia Business School.^[6]

In 1989 and 1990, Rogers was the moderator of WCBS' The Dreyfus Roundtable and FNN's The Profit Motive with Jim Rogers. From 1990 to 1992, he traveled through China again, as well as around the world, on motorcycle, over 100,000 miles (160,000 km) across six continents, which was picked up in the Guinness Book of World Records. He tells of his adventures and worldwide investments in Investment Biker, a bestselling investment book.

In 1998, Rogers founded the Rogers International Commodity Index. In 2007, the index and its three sub-indices were linked to exchange-traded notes under the banner ELEMENTS. The notes track the total return of the indices as an accessible way to invest in the index. Rogers is an outspoken advocate of agriculture investments.

Between January 1, 1999 and January 5, 2002, Rogers did another Guinness World Record journey through 116 countries, covering 245,000 kilometers with his wife, Paige Parker, in a custom-made Mercedes. The trip began in Iceland, which was about to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of Leif Eriksson's first trip to America. On January 5, 2002, they were back in New York City and their home on Riverside Drive. His route around the world can be viewed on his website, jimrogers.com. He wrote Adventure Capitalist following this around-the-world adventure. It is currently his bestselling book.

2002 to present[link]

On his return in 2002, Rogers became a regular guest on Fox News' Cavuto on Business and other financial TV shows.^[7] In 2002, Rogers said that Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan's "reaction to the stock-market bubble has caused two more bubbles to grow: a real-estate bubble and a consumer-debt bubble."^[8] In 2006, Rogers said he was shorting US financials, home builders and Fannie Mae.^[9][10]

In 2005, Rogers wrote Hot Commodities: How Anyone Can Invest Profitably in the World's Best Market. In this book, Rogers quotes a Financial Analysts Journal academic paper co-authored by Yale School of Management professor, Geert Rouwenhorst, entitled Facts and Fantasies about Commodity Futures. Rogers contends this paper shows that commodities investment is one of the best investments over time, which is a concept somewhat at odds with conventional investment thinking.

In December 2007, Rogers sold his mansion in New York City for about 16 million USD and moved to Singapore. Rogers claimed that he moved because now is a ground-breaking time for investment potential in Asian markets. Rogers's first daughter is now being tutored in Mandarin to prepare her for the future. He is quoted as saying: "If you were smart in 1807 you moved to London, if you were smart in 1907 you moved to New York City, and if you are smart in 2007 you move to Asia." In a CNBC interview with Maria Bartiromo broadcast on May 5, 2008, Rogers said that people in China are extremely motivated and driven, and he wants to be in that type of environment, so his daughters are motivated and driven. He also stated that this is how America and Europe used to be. He chose not to move to Chinese cities like Hong Kong or Shanghai due to the high levels of pollution causing potential health problems for his family; hence, he chose Singapore. He has also advocated investing in certain smaller Asian frontier markets such as Sri Lanka and Cambodia, and currently serves as an Advisor to Leopard Capital’s Leopard Sri Lanka Fund.^[11] However, he is not fully bullish on all Asian nations, as he remains skeptical of India's future - "India as we know it will not survive another 30 or 40 years".^[12] In 2008 Rogers endorsed Ron Paul for President of the United States.^[13]

Rogers has two daughters with Paige Parker. Hilton Augusta (nicknamed Happy) was born in 2003, and their second daughter Beeland Anderson in 2008. His latest book, A Gift To My Children, contains lessons in life for his daughters as well as investment advice and was published in 2009.

On November 4, 2010, at Oxford University’s Balliol College, he urged students to scrap career plans for Wall Street or the City, London’s financial district, and to study agriculture and mining instead. “The power is shifting again from the financial centers to the producers of real goods. The place to be is in commodities, raw materials, natural resources."^[14]

In February 2011 Rogers announced that he has started a new index fund which focuses on "the top companies in agriculture, mining, metals and energy sectors as well as those in the alternative energy space including solar, wind and hydro."^[15] The index is called The Rogers Global Resources Equity Index and according to Rogers, only the best and most liquid companies go into the index.

Bibliography[link]

• 1995: Investment Biker: Around the World with Jim Rogers. - ISBN 1-55850-529-6
• 2003: Adventure Capitalist: The Ultimate Road Trip. - ISBN 0-375-50912-7
• 2004: Hot Commodities: How Anyone Can Invest Profitably in the World's Best Market. - ISBN 1-4000-6337-X
• 2007: A Bull in China: Investing Profitably in the World's Greatest Market. - ISBN 1-4000-6616-6
• 2009: A Gift to My Children: A Father's Lessons For Life And Investing. - ISBN 1-4000-6754-5

Further reading[link]

• Schwager, Jack D. (1993). Market Wizards: Interviews with Top Traders. Collins; Reissue edition. ISBN 0-88730-610-1. 
• Train, John (2003). Money Masters of Our Time. Collins; Reprint edition. ISBN 978-0-88730-970-0. 

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (September 2010)

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Jim Rogers

• The Millennium Adventure, Official Jim Rogers website
• The Rogers International Commodity Index A site for information on the RICI

Articles

• "An Early Christmas for Jim Rogers". - BusinessWeek - December 8, 2004.
• "Invest In Commodities – and Keep Your Shirt". - November 23, 2006.
• "We Want Our Kids To Learn Chinese". - MySinchew. - July 19, 2008. - (article about Rogers' life in Singapore)
• "Adventure Capitalist". - PODER Magazine. - April 2010.

Interviews

• Curated Interview With Jim Rogers From Market Wizards
• Jim Rogers on the British Pound, US Dollar, And China
• Jim Rogers, The Adventure Capitalist
• Jim Rogers and George Soros Started the Quantum Fund
• rediff.com: The Money Interview/Jim Rogers, investor, globetrotter
• Financial Sense Newshour's Ask The Expert: Jim Rogers:
  • 2003.
  • May 6, 2004.
• Riverside Conversations: a 3 Part TV Series with Marc Faber
• SCMP video interview, September 8, 2008.
• Investors Chronicle interview. - (on the decline of the US/Europe, emerging markets, commodities). - November 2008.
• Bloomberg Night Talk interview. - November 24, 2008.
• Jim Rogers on The Lew Rockwell Show:
  • "The Crash of '08". - December 12, 2008. - (*.MP3 audio)
  • "Economic Advice to My Children (and You)". - May 17, 2009. - (*.MP3 audio)
• Bloomberg TV Jim Rogers Special. - December 24, 2008.
• TIME Q&A: Jim Rogers:
  • April 28, 2009.
  • October 31, 2008.
• Interview from March 2009 on Channel 4
• Jim Rogers Sat 3 Interview German TV Sat 3
• Euro is not to blame for crisis, BBC News, 26 December 2011.

References[link]

Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone promotes 'Cocktail' on DLF IPL's Extraaa Innings.
Born	(1986-01-05) 5 January 1986 (age 26) Copenhagen, Denmark
Occupation	Actress, Model
Years active	2006–present

Deepika Padukone (born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress and a former model. She appears mostly in Hindi as well as Tamil and Kannada language films. Born to badminton player Prakash Padukone, she chose to become an actress and not pursue a career in sports.^[1]

Padukone made her acting debut in the 2006 Kannada film Aishwarya.^[2] The following year, she made her Hindi film debut in Om Shanti Om, for which she earned the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. It also remains her biggest commercial success so far. She subsequently appeared in films such as Love Aaj Kal (2009) and Housefull (2010). While the former earned her a Filmfare nomination in the Best Actress category, the latter emerged as a commercial success.^[3]

In addition to acting, Padukone is also the ambassador of prominent brands such as Tissot, Sony Cybershot, Nescafe and Kingfisher Airlines.^[4]

Early life and background[link]

Padukone was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her father, Prakash Padukone, is a former badminton player of international repute, and her mother is a travel agent. Her father was then training in Denmark in the sport and when she was eleven months old, her family moved to Bangalore, Karnataka, India.^[5] Padukone also has a younger sister, Anisha, born on 2 February 1991.^[6]

Padukone attended Sophia High School in Bangalore, and completed her pre-university studies at Mount Carmel College Bangalore.^[7] While in high school she played badminton at the state level.^[8] However, she was not keen on pursuing a career as a badminton player.^[9] During the time of her film debut she was enrolled with the Indira Gandhi National Open University in Bachelors of Arts (Sociology).^[10][11]

Career[link]

Early Modelling Career, until 2006[link]

While in college, Padukone pursued a career in modeling.^[12] She was spotted in a ramp competition in NLS, Bangalore.^{[citation needed]} Over the years, she has modeled for such Indian brand names as Liril, Dabur Lal powder, Close-Up toothpaste and Limca, and has been "brand ambassador" for the Jewels of India retail jewelry show.^[13] The cosmetics company Maybelline made her its international spokesperson.^[14]

At the fifth annual Kingfisher Fashion Awards she was awarded the title "Model of the Year".^[15] Shortly afterward, she was chosen as one of the models for the Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar for 2006 and won two trophies at the Idea Zee Fashion Awards: "Female Model of the Year - (Commercial Assignments)" and "Fresh Face of the Year".^[16][17] Padukone was also chosen as the brand ambassador of Kingfisher Airlines and later Levi Strauss and Tissot SA.^[18] In addition, she appeared in the music video for Himesh Reshammiya's song Naam Hai Tera.

Debut & Breakthrough in Films, 2006-09[link]

Padukone made her cinematic debut in Kannada with Aishwarya opposite Upendra in 2006. She later made a successful Bollywood debut in 2007 with Farah Khan's blockbuster Om Shanti Om opposite Shahrukh Khan. The film was a re-incarnation melodrama, featuring her in a double role.^[19][20] Her performance was well received, earning the actress a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award as well as her first Filmfare Best Actress nomination. Taran Adarsh from indiaFM noted, "Deepika has all it takes to be a top star — the personality, the looks and yes, she's supremely talented too. Standing in the same frame as SRK and getting it right is no small achievement. She comes as a whiff of fresh air!"^[21] About being cast opposite Shah Rukh Khan, she said,

"When Farah was casting for Happy New Year, she saw my commercials on TV and called my agent. I met her when she was rehearsing at a dance hall in Juhu. When that film didn’t happen, she offered me OSO. Farah took care of me right from the first meeting, introducing me to Shah Rukh Khan and ensuring that I was comfortable with him. Six months prior to shooting, we frequently met up for lunches and dinners."^[22]

Padukone was then seen playing a feisty, modern-day Indian woman, Gayatri, in Siddharth Anand's romantic comedy Bachna Ae Haseeno alongside Ranbir Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Minissha Lamba.^[23] The film, which released on 15 August 2008, performed reasonably well at the box office, but her performance drew flak. Adarsh wrote, "Deepika is a sore point. Her role isn't convincing and that's the reason why this performance doesn't work. The only consolation is, she looks gorgeous."^[24]

Deepika Padukone at the premiere of Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey

She played a double role again in her next film, Chandni Chowk To China, which released on 16 January 2009. The film, directed by Nikhil Advani, also featured Akshay Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty and Ranvir Shorey in the lead. It was a critical and commercial disaster, with Nikhat Kazmi of The Times Of India commenting, "Deepika looks lost and forlorn for most of the film."^[25]

Padukone's fourth release Love Aaj Kal, released on 31 July 2009 and proved to be one of the biggest hits of 2009.^[26] Directed by Imtiaz Ali, the film documented the changing value of relationships among the youth. Padukone played the role of Meera Pandit, a practical and head-strong career woman opposite Saif Ali Khan. Of her performance, NDTV's Anupama Chopra wrote, "Deepika looks fabulous but she isn’t a strong enough actor to breathe life into the character."^[27] Despite this, she received her second Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination.^[3] The same year, she teamed up with Farah Khan and Shah Rukh Khan once again for an item number in the Irrfan Khan-Lara Dutta starrer Billu.^[28] She also made guest appearances in the Telegu film Love 4 Ever and in Sohail Khan's Main Aur Mrs Khanna.^[29][30]

Initial Success, 2010-present[link]

Her first release in 2010 was Excel Entertainment’s Karthik Calling Karthik. The thriller featured Farhan Akhtar as Karthik, a troubled schizophrenic man, and Padukone as his supportive girlfriend, Shonali Mukherjee. This time, Anupama Chopra wrote, "Padukone finally seems to be thawing in front of a camera."^[31] The film, however, was a commercial failure.^[32] She then featured in Sajid Khan's multistarrer Housefull with Akshay Kumar, Ritesh Deshmukh, Lara Dutta, Arjun Rampal, Jiah Khan and Boman Irani . She played the role of Soundarya Bhagyalakshmi Venkateshwari Baassappa Rao, Kumar's girlfriend and later fiancée. The film became a blockbuster in India, with a net gross of INR 95 crores in the first week itself.^[33] As for her performance, Taran Adarsh mentioned that "Deepika is a surprise. She carries her part with amazing confidence...Housefull is the film that would make people notice her talent as well as beauty".^[34]

She then appeared in her second Yash Raj production, Lafangey Parindey which was directed by Pradeep Sarkar. She starred opposite Neil Nitin Mukesh as Pinky Palkar, a blind girl, hell bent on winning a skating competition. Upon release, Sudhish Kamath, of The Hindu wrote, "This really is Deepika Padukone's film though. She exercises considerable restraint, dances, skates, makes you cry and smile."^[35]

Padukone with her Break Ke Baad co-star Imran Khan

Her next release was Kunal Kohli's syrupy romance Break Ke Baad opposite Imran Khan, where she played Aaliya Khan, an impetuous brat. The film was not a commercial success, but won Padukone favorable reviews.^[36] Nikhat Kazmi noted, "Padukone's climactic act seems to be the best performance in her entire career: completely spontaneous, crazy and cute."^[37]

Her final release of 2010; Ashutosh Gowarikar's Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey top-lining Abhishek Bachchan, met with scathing reviews and was declared a flop. The period drama was a retelling of the 1930 Chittagong armoury raid, with Bachchan playing the revolutionary leader Surya Sen and Padukone playing Kalpana Dutta, his lover and confidant.^[38] A review carried by The Hollywood Reporter, however, mentioned her portrayal of Dutta as "impressive".^[39]

She began the year 2011 with an item number in Rohan Sippy's Dum Maaro Dum starring Abhishek Bachchan and Bipasha Basu in the lead. Her song was a remixed version of Zeenat Aman's iconic song from Hare Rama Hare Krishna.^[40] The raunchy lyrics and suggestive dancing received mixed reviews. The Deccan Chronicle mentioned her moves as "mechanised gyrations", while Adarsh wrote, "Deepika scorches the screen in the title track. "^[41][42]

Padukone at a promotional event for Aarakshan. Pictured with Prakash Jha

Next, she featured in Prakash Jha's reservation melodrama, Aarakshan starring alongside Amitabh Bachchan, as his daughter, and Saif Ali Khan, as his love-interest.^[43] Pratim D. Gupta noted, "Deepika, though, is again the refreshing thing about a movie. Both her scenes with Bachchan — one where she revolts and the other where she redeems herself — show how she has come of age as an actor."^[44] Padukone next appeared in Rohit Dhawan's Desi Boyz alongside Akshay Kumar, John Abraham and Chitrangada Singh. The film received mixed reviews from critics and was an average success at the box office.

In 2012, Padukone is expected to appear in Homi Adajania's Cocktail opposite Saif Ali Khan and Diana Penty and will make her Kollywood debut in Soundarya Rajnikanth's Kochadaiyaan opposite Rajnikanth. Following this, Padukone will be seen in Ayan Mukerji's Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani opposite ex-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor^[45][46] and Race 2 alongside Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez and Ameesha Patel.

Other work[link]

Philanthropy[link]

As part of NDTV's Greenathon Campaign, Padukone adopted Ambegaon, a village in Maharashtra, that was facing a major electricity crisis.^[47]

In The Media[link]

In 2009, Padukone started writing weekly columns for HT City, the lifestyle supplement of Hindustan Times. These columns appear online on social network, Desimartini.^[48]

She appeared on the cover of lifestyle magazine Vogue on May 2010 and 2011.^[49] She also walked the red carpet at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.^[50]

On November 2010, she appeared on Koffee With Karan, a popular chat show along with Sonam Kapoor. Her comments on ex-flame Ranbir Kapoor lead to a lot of controversy among Bollywood inner-circles.^[51]

Personal life[link]

In March 2008, Padukone began dating Ranbir Kapoor, her co-star from the film Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008).^[52] After her high profile break up with Kapoor in November 2009, Padukone has decided to keep her personal life away from media attention.^[53]

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmography[link]

Notes[link]