In 2007, thousands of viewers in India flocked to the cinemas on the day of Diwali. The film they were vying to watch? A glossy new release by the name of Om Shanti Om.

Centred on a thrilling plot of rebirth and revenge, packed with energetic dance numbers and starring Shah Rukh Khan—one of India’s most popular movie stars—the film had all the fixings of a mega-blockbuster. But the one unpredicted factor that contributed to Om Shanti Om’s record-breaking success (the film became the highest-grossing Hindi film ever at the time of its release) came in the form of its female lead.

Playing the dual roles of Bollywood starlet Shantipriya and, 30 years later, her doppelganger Sandy, model-turned-actress Deepika Padukone had stepped onto the silver screen for the first time.