Deepika has played badminton at the national level as a teenager and also played state-level basketball. Deepika Padukone has often spoken about the difficult phase when she struggled with depression. In a powerful speech at the International Indian Film Academy Awards in 2016, she spoke about something that helped her find strength again.Deepika, who grew up playing badminton and was trained by her father and former Indian badminton legend Prakash Padukone, said she wanted to speak that evening not as an actor, but as an athlete. “I basically wanted to take two minutes of everyone’s time to tell you today that I’m not here as Deepika the actor, but I’m here as Deepika the athlete,” she said.
22 Jul 2026 | 13:00
Is emotional support more important than financial stability in a partner?She then spoke about a lesson her father taught her while she was growing up. “I remember when I was growing up, my father taught me. He was an athlete. I don’t know if many people know. He was one of the most popular Indian sportsmen we produced. And one of the most important things he taught me was the 3 Ds.”
The 3 Ds her father told her about
Deepika with her father Prakash Padukone.
Those three Ds were dedication, discipline and determination. For Deepika, however, sport gave her much more than physical fitness or the ability to compete. “I think sports has taught me to be humble. It’s taught me to be grounded. It’s taught me to handle failure, but it’s also taught me how to handle success.”That lesson became particularly important when she went through one of the hardest periods of her life. “Two years ago, I struggled with depression. I almost gave up. I couldn’t find the strength. But I think it was the athlete in me that gave me the strength. It taught me to never give up,” she said.“So I want to say to every boy and every girl and every woman and every man to play a sport, because it changed my life,” she said. “It will change yours, too.” For Deepika, sport had become a way of thinking about life itself. “Sports has taught me to be a survivor. It’s taught me to be unstoppable.”
Why this matters particularly for women
For girls, sport is still sometimes treated as something they can do until studies become serious, or until family responsibilities take over. For women, it can become even harder to make time for it.Exercise is often the first thing to disappear from a woman’s schedule when work, marriage, motherhood or caregiving becomes demanding. But Deepika’s story points to a different reason to play a sport. “You don’t have to play to win. You can play to build a relationship with yourself.”Sport teaches you that being bad at something is not the same as failing. You show up, practice, make mistakes, improve and try again. That mindset can be useful far beyond a badminton court or running track.
You don’t need to become an athlete
Deepika with tennis legend Roger Federer.
Deepika’s message does not mean every woman needs to train for a marathon or join a competitive sports academy. The sport can be as simple as badminton with a friend, swimming twice a week, tennis on weekends, cycling, running, football or even a regular run.The important part is consistency. For a woman who has spent years putting everyone else’s needs before her own, committing to a sport can also create something surprisingly valuable.
Sport teaches women to lose without feeling like losers
This may be one of the most useful lessons. Women are often expected to be good at things quickly. A new job, motherhood, managing a home, maintaining relationships. There can be enormous pressure to get everything right. While playing a sport, women can forget that.That ability to tolerate failure can build confidence in everyday life. Deepika specifically spoke about learning to handle both failure and success. That is important because resilience is not only about surviving difficult moments. It is also about staying grounded when things are going well.There is no need to choose the “best” workout according to social media. If you hate running, don’t force yourself to run because everyone says it is good for you. If the gym makes you miserable, find another activity. Try different things until you find one that feels enjoyable enough to continue.
Start small and make it non-negotiable
A woman who has never played a sport does not need to suddenly dedicate an hour every day to it. Start with two days a week. Find a friend, colleague or local group. Put it on the calendar. Keep the first few sessions short. And resist the urge to stop because you are not good at it.Deepika’s most powerful message was not just about becoming physically stronger. It was about what happens when you learn, through repeated practice, that you can fall short and still return.For women especially, that can be a powerful lesson to carry into work, relationships, motherhood and difficult phases of life. You may not always be able to control what happens to you. But you can build the habit of showing up again.