Deepika Padukone now an all-rounder: Farah Khan

Isn`t it interesting that when Farah Khan wanted a newcomer for her 2007 film ‘Om Shanti Om’, she zeroed in on then debutante Deepika Padukone? And when she wanted a "star" for her new film ‘Happy New Year’, it was the same name that struck her.

Farah says Deepika leaves her impressed with her all-rounder quality. "I`m so happy that Deepika is in `Happy New Year`," Farah said. Busy directing ‘Happy New Year’, she can only look back with a smile at how Deepika has emerged in a league of her own.

Rightly so! The actress delivered four back-to-back hits at the Bollywood box office in 2013 – ‘Race 2’, ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’, ‘Chennai Express’ and ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela’ - and emerged as a hero among heroes, quite literally.

Each role and film was different from the other and yet each of these sailed smoothly to the Rs.100 crore club. Deepika`s dancing, acting, poise, confidence and most importantly, her versatility, was hailed.

She recently clinched both the best actress awards - popular choice and jury - at the Life OK Screen Awards, where she also staged a startling dance performance.

For Farah, Deepika is an all-rounder.

"Maybe she was very good-looking, she had a fabulous body and she could dance, but in `Om Shanti Om`, we presented her really well.

"After that I felt her potential wasn`t being exploited - either she was not acting too well or the directors were not using her well. But I think in the last two years, she has really come into her own and it`s not shocking that sometimes she does a scene and I`m like `great`," said Farah.

The choreographer-filmmaker remembers how during the ‘Om Shanti Om’ shooting, she had to tell Deepika "everything" about playing the double role of superstar Shanti and a commoner Sandhya.

“‘Look left, look right, now turnaround, now smile`, I used to tell her everything. But now she comes all prepared and does something wonderful in front of the camera,” the 49-year-old filmmaker said.