Happy Birthday Deepika Padukone: Global Domination @31

A leading Bollywood actress, a former model, a fashionista, one who also runs an NGO, Deepika Padukone has never failed to win hearts and is 31 today. She had a blockbuster 2015 with hits like Piku, Tamasha and Bajirao Mastani. As she turns a year older today, here's a pictorial tour of her life in Bollywood and otherwise so far.

Deepika, who is the daughter of famous badminton player Prakash Padukone, was born on January 5, 1986 in Copenhagen, Denmark, where her father was training. Her family moved to Bangalore, when she was eleven months old. Deepika is of Mangalorean origin and her mother tongue is Konkani. She also has a sister, Anisha, who is five years younger.

However, she was not keen on pursuing a career as a badminton player and abandoned it to focus on her studies.

While in college, Deepika pursued a career in modelling. She was famously a Liril and Limca girl and is now popular in the ads for Nescafe, Fiama Di Wills, Pepsi, and Sony Cybershot.

Deepika followed up her hugely successful modelling career with an appearance in the music video for Himesh Reshammiya's Naam Hai Tera. Her first movie was Kannada film Aishwarya (2006) also featuring Upendra.

She made a dream debut in Bollywood opposite no less a person than Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om (2007) - the reincarnation and revenge themed blockbuster where she played '70s filmstar Shantipriya and the modern day Sandy, a look-alike of the dead actress.

Deepika's debut performance was well received, earning the actress the IIFA Awards' Best Debutant Award, Filmfare Best Female Debut Award as well as her first Filmfare Best Actress nomination.

Deepika next appeared in Siddharth Anand's Bachna Ae Haseen (2008) opposite Ranbir Kapoor, which was a hit.

In 2009, came Chandni Chowk to China, where she was paired opposite Akshay Kumar, the film was a major flop. She next starred in Imtiaz Ali's Love Aaj Kal (2009) opposite Saif Ali Khan. The film was one of the biggest hits of the year.

In 2010, she starred opposite Farhan Akhtar in Karthik Calling Karthik, which performed moderately well at the box office.

Deepika starred opposite Neil Nitin Mukesh in Lafangey Parindey (2010), in which she played a visually-impaired dancer.

She lost her heart to Akshay again in Housefull (2010), and her clothes too. The movie was a hit at the box office.

Her next release in 2010 was Kunal Kohli's romantic flick Break Ke Baad opposite Imran Khan, The film was not a commercial success but Deepika was praised for her acting prowess. Her final release in the same year was Ashutosh Gowarikar's Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se in which she starred opposite Abhishek Bachchan. The movie turned out to be a flop at the box office, though Deepika once again won rave reviews for her acting.

Deepika's item number in Rohan Sippy's Dum Maaro Dum co-starring Abhishek Bachchan and Bipasha Basu was the talk of 2011.

The same year she won rave reviews for her portrayal as Amitabh Bachchan's daughter and Saif Ali Khan's love interest in Prakash Jha's Aarakshan. Next came Rohit Dhawan's Desi Boyz which did moderately well at the box office.

Deepika was the toast of 2012 for her performance in Homi Adajania's superhit movie Cocktail where she starred opposite Saif Ali Khan and newbie Diana Penty. The actress earned glowing praise for her performance as the fun-loving, free spirited Veronica.

In 2013, Deepika proved herself to be the ultimate leading lady of Bollywood, featuring in four of the top-grossing productions of the year.

She collaborated with Saif Ali Khan, John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez, Ameesha Patel and Anil Kapoor in Abbas-Mustan's Race 2, a sequel to the 2008 film Race. The movie went on to earn more than Rs 100 crores at the box office.

Ayan Mukerji's romantic comedy Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewaani was Deepika's next film release. Film critics praised her role of a shy and studious girl, much different from the kind of roles she had been doing till then. The movie was a major commercial success with a worldwide collection of more than Rs 250 crores.

She paired up with Shah Rukh Khan for the second time in Rohit Shetty's action-comedy film Chennai Express. Her role of a Tamil girl on the run from her father was well received by critics and audiences alike.

Chennai Express earned over Rs 300 crores in worldwide ticket sales.

Both Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewaani and Chennai Express rank among the highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time.

Deepika continued her winning streak with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela. She played a Gujarati girl based on the character of Juliet. Deepika's performance was well appreciated and the film earned over Rs 200 crores worldwide.

In 2014, Deepika's Kochadaiiyaan, in which she played the romantic interest of superstar Rajinikanth, did fairly well at the box office. As did Happy New Year, opposite Shah Rukh Khan, which turned out to be a blockbuster. She also received rave reviews for her performance in Homi Adajania's critically-acclaimed Finding Fanny in which she featured alongside Arjun Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah.

In 2015, Deepika was seen in Piku with megastar Amitabh Bachchan as a loving daughter and a career oriented woman.

Deepika was next was seen in Imtiaz Ali's Tamasha with Ranbir Kapoor, which performed moderately well at the box office.

Deepika also appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani opposite Ranveer Singh and Priyanka Chopra. Bajirao Mastani raked in a whopping 100 crores in the second week of its release. Deepika however, has no movies lined up for 2016 so far.

Deepika is all set for her first Hollywood film's release just days after her birthday. xXx: The Return of Xander Cage will release in Indian on January 14, five days before everywhere else. Deepika plays Serena Unger who is looks lethal and mission oriented form the film's trailers and sneak peek. The film stars Vin Diesel in titular role.

After xXx 3, Deepika will be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati co-starring Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor. Deepika plays rani Padmavati in the film, who performed Juahar when Alaudin Khilji's army attacked Chittor to capture her. Ranveer plays Khilji while Shahid plays Deepika's onscreen husband Ratan Singh.

This year, Deepika also gained international recognition as she rounded off the list of top 10 highest-aid actresses. Deepika's earnings were counted to be $10 million.

Deepika, who spoke about battling depression in an interview to NDTV in 2015, also started her own mental health foundation called Live Love Laugh.

Deepika's personal life has also contributed many headlines as her film career. The dimpled one has always been popular with the boys. Before her Bollywood days, she dated longtime friend Nihar Pandya. The relationship went kaput when filmi fame came Deepika's way, though she maintains that she and Nihar remain friends.

Deepika reportedly began dating Ranbir, her co-star from Bachna Ae Haseeno in March 2008. The two were a picture perfect couple. The break-up, when it came, was bitter with Deepika publicly blaming Ranbir's roving eye. However, the two have since mended fences and are now good friends as well as co-stars.

Deepika then dated Kingfisher scion Sidhartha Mallya, sealing their romance with a very public kiss at an IPL cricket match. Two years later, they were done.

Deepika is now rumoured to be dating star Ranveer Singh.

Here's wishing her a very happy birthday and a wonderful year ahead.