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In its second Bollywood special following Amitabh Bachchan's appearance last week, CNN's Anjali Rao gets up-close with one of the industry's hottest new talents, DEEPIKA PADUKONE on TALK ASIA.

CNN's Talk Asia follows Padukone on film sets and modelling assignments as she navigates her career as a rising star. She shares her unconventional career path from playing badminton at a national level to modeling in ad campaigns and music videos, to achieving overnight stardom as the leading lady in Om Shanti Om, one of the biggest box office hits of 2007. 

"Until today it still hasn't sunken in that so much has happened to me so soon....I'm not from Bombay. Nobody from my family is from the film industry. I used to be the one buying tickets to watch a film and now suddenly I'm on the other side where people are buying tickets to watch my film," says Padukone. 

Debuting opposite Shah Rukh Khan was a dream come true for Padukone.

"He is definitely someone who I have idolized; I have grown up watching him. He is so normal, down-to-earth and a great person to start off with."

Recalling her earlier days as a professional badminton player, Padukone says, "It's not something that I wanted to take up professionally, and I knew that I wouldn't continue with badminton for the rest of my life, but it definitely taught me a lot. I've learned to become responsible, independent. I live alone now. And I think I manage now very well because of all that I went through at that age."

Padukone also talks candidly about her relationship with Ranbir Kapoor, grandson of the legendary Indian actor Raj Kapoor. She talks about how friendship slowly turned into a relationship while they worked together on films & commercials.

Deepika Padukone's interview with TALK ASIA will be available online at www.cnn.com/talkasia after the first airing.

Airtimes are subject to change.  

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