New Delhi, June 28 -- Long before Deepika Padukone became one of India's most successful and highest-paid actors, her rise began with a shift that surprised people who remembered as an athlete. Filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh, who gave Deepika her first break in the 2006 Kannada film 'Aishwarya', recently revisited those early days and described how her debut and growing popularity soon drew the attention of King Khan.

On Hindi Rush's YouTube channel, Lankesh spoke about Deepika's journey from a state-level badminton player to an internationally recognised film star. He praised the longevity of her success, saying, "She's not just a superstar, she's still the no 1 actress, the highest paid actress in India now. I'm proud to say that."

Lankes...