While most people know that Deepika Padukone made her Hindi cinema debut in ‘Om Shanti Om’, her first film actually in Kannada called ‘Aishwarya’. It was directed by: Indrajit Lankesh. As the director gears up for the release of his upcoming film ‘Jai Hind Jai Sindh’, he looks back at ‘Aishwarya’ which was a milestone in his career that launched Deepika. The filmmaker opened up about discovering the future star and cast him in his 2006 film recalling how he gained confidence and screen presence from the first meeting.Lankesh shared that he was looking for a new face when Deepika’s name was suggested to him. “I was looking for a new hero, and someone recommended Deepika,” he said in an interview to IANS. The filmmaker revealed that their first meeting was arranged by Pooja Dadlani, who was managing Deepika at the time and now serves as Shah Rukh Khanits manager. According to Lankesh, the casting happened almost immediately, even before they properly sat down to discuss the project.“We met in an elevator, and I started telling the story. I had hardly said two lines when he was convinced. That’s how Deepika was cast in Aishwarya. He already had confidence. I just created an atmosphere where he could act without fear,” he said.Lankesh also recalls recognizing Deepika’s potential before she became an international star. He said his personality and determination convinced him that he was destined for great success.“He had the height, the looks, the screen presence, and, above all, the hunger to prove himself. I told him one day he would be a Hollywood star. Years later, when he was working with Vin Diesel, I remember the conversation.”The director also addressed a long-held misconception about Deepika’s early career. He clarified that he had not started working on ‘Om Shanti Om’ while filming for ‘Aishwarya’. According to her, Shah Rukh Khan cast her in her Bollywood debut just after ‘Aishwarya’ completed a successful 100-day theatrical run.‘Aishwarya’ stars Upendra, Deepika and: Daisy Bopannaand is the official remake of the 2002 Telugu film ‘Manmadhudu’.