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BOLLYWOOD ACTRESS IS FIRST INDIAN FACE OF LOUIS VUITTON

▶ Deepika Padukone has been called ‘the most influentia­l actor in the Indian film industry today,’ writes David Tusing

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Bollywood star Deepika Padukone returns to the Cannes Film Festival, which begins today, as a member of the main jury. She also has another title, having been named “House Ambassador” by storied French label Louis Vuitton.

Padukone, one of the biggest names in Bollywood, is the first Indian to be given the title by the brand and joins the likes of Hollywood actresses Emma Stone, Alicia Vikander, Lea Seydoux and Sophie Turner.

“When you’re 18 and have just started earning, you don’t even bother looking into a Louis Vuitton store when you walk past it because you know you’re never going to be able to afford it,” Padukone told Vogue India following the announceme­nt.

“There are some things that are aspiration­al and then there are some things that are just completely out of your orbit. My associatio­n with Louis Vuitton is the latter.

“I’m a very practical, pragmatic person in reality, but I keep having to pinch myself because I can’t believe this is real. And it speaks to the kind of diversity I hope to see in the future.”

Padukone’s associatio­n with Louis Vuitton began in 2020 as part of their pre-autumn campaign. She marks her new role by starring in a campaign to launch an updated version of Louis Vuitton’s classic Dauphine bag, along with fellow ambassador­s Stone and Chinese actress Zhou Dongyu.

“Padukone is the first Indian to be signed as a House Ambassador by Louis Vuitton. Following a strong collaborat­ive relationsh­ip with the Maison, including an appearance in Nicolas Ghesquiere’s novel-inspired 2020 campaign, the award-winning actress begins an exciting new chapter of her journey with Louis Vuitton,” the brand said.

“Against clean backdrops of white and gradient blue, the Dauphine is incarnated by three internatio­nally acclaimed actresses, each independen­tly embodying a characteri­stic of the femme Dauphine.

“Deepika Padukone captures her free-spirited nature, ready to seize the day, Dauphine in hand.”

The actress, 36, is also the cover star of Vogue India’s May issue, in which the magazine calls her “the most influentia­l actor in the Indian film industry right now”.

In the accompanyi­ng interview, she talks about her fears of being written off when she first started in the entertainm­ent industry.

“Coming from a sports background meant I did not have a natural inroad into Bollywood. My South Indian accent was also frowned upon,” Padukone, a former model and the daughter of Indian badminton star Prakash Padukone, tells the magazine.

The actress, who is married to leading actor Ranveer Singh, is one of the highestpai­d stars in India.

She’s also a film producer and is known for speaking openly about her experience with depression, launching The Live Love Laugh Foundation in 2015 to help to bring more awareness to mental health issues.

“Padukone has been touted as one of Indian cinema’s most loved and successful

actresses to date, and her achievemen­ts have made her an icon of recent times,” Louis Vuitton said.

“With more than 30 feature films to her credit, the actress has notably been named a member of the jury of this year’s 75th Cannes Film Festival. In 2018, Time Magazine named Padukone as one of their ‘100 Most Influentia­l People’.

“She was also recently awarded the Time 100 Impact Award for her contributi­on to the field of film and entertainm­ent.”

The award, given to Padukone in March, recognises people who have had a significan­t effect on the industries they work in and the world at large.

The event, which was held in Dubai, also honoured civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen; Nigerian singer, actress and philanthro­pist Omotola Jalade Ekeinde; French-Tunisian contempora­ry artist eL Seed; US model Tyra Banks; and Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the first woman to hold a ministeria­l position in the UAE.

“All the ups and downs I’ve been through in my career – the learnings, the mistakes, the successes – the award felt like a culminatio­n of it,” Padukone told Vogue India of the honour.

“All those memories of asking myself questions at the age of 18, like, ‘How am I going to break into this industry? What is the journey going to be like? Who are the people I’m going to meet on this journey? Will I be successful? Will I enjoy my craft?’ It just came full circle when the award was placed in my hands.”

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 ?? WireImage; Louis Vuitton ?? Above, Deepika Padukone at Louis Vuitton’s Cruise show in California; left, in the brand’s latest campaign for Dauphine leather goods
WireImage; Louis Vuitton Above, Deepika Padukone at Louis Vuitton’s Cruise show in California; left, in the brand’s latest campaign for Dauphine leather goods

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