The film industry often surprises its audience with casting choices that defy expectations. Actresses in their prime have played mothers while young stars have been asked to portray characters far beyond their years. One such example is Deepika Padukone. Despite being at the peak of her career she took on the challenging role of playing Shah Rukh Khan’s mother on screen the very actor she had debuted with as a romantic lead. How did Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone’s journey begin? Their journey started with Farah Khan’s blockbuster Om Shanti Om (2007). This film marked Deepika’s Bollywood debut and she was launched opposite none other than Shah Rukh Khan. The film became an instant success its songs and dialogues still remembered fondly. It not only made Deepika a star overnight but also established her as SRK’s on-screen partner. Which films brought them together again? After Om Shanti Om the pair reunited in Chennai Express (2013) a comedy-action entertainer directed by Rohit Shetty. Deepika’s portrayal of a spirited South Indian girl named Meena won her immense praise. The film was a box-office juggernaut further cementing their on-screen chemistry. Their third collaboration came with Happy New Year (2014) another Farah Khan film. This multi-starrer featured SRK and Deepika as the leading pair and like their earlier films it emerged as a superhit. What about their more recent blockbusters? Fast forward to 2023 the duo reunited in Siddharth Anand’s spy-action spectacle Pathaan. Deepika played Agent Rubina sharing high-octane action scenes and sizzling chemistry with SRK. The film turned into one of the year’s biggest blockbusters under the YRF banner. But their most surprising collaboration came the same year in Atlee’s Jawan. In a special cameo Deepika portrayed Vikram Rathore’s wife and most unexpectedly the mother of Azad both roles played by Shah Rukh Khan in a double avatar. Her scenes though limited became crucial to the story. How did Jawan change SRK’s career? Interestingly Jawan became the film that earned Shah Rukh Khan the first National Award of his 30-year career. Deepika’s cameo and her decision to play a mother at the height of her stardom became one of the talking points of the movie. Despite their 20-year age gap her portrayal was well-received by audiences proving that versatility often matters more than perception. Highlights: Deepika debuted with SRK in Om Shanti Om (2007). She later played his mother in Jawan (2023). SRK won his first National Award for Jawan which featured her cameo.