Mumbai, Nov 18: Few people are aware of the fact that supermodel Deepika Padukone, who made her Bollywood debut alongside superstar Shah Rukh Khan in ''Om Shanti Om'' last week, is a product of versatile actor Anupam Kher's acting school ''Actor Prepares''.

Deepika was a student in Kher's second batch (June-August 2005) and he remembers her as a diligent learner.

Speaking to reporters here, Anupam Kher said, ''She came with the reputation of being a successful model, yet she never had any airs about herself. She realised that film was a new medium and she slogged tirelessly to understand and emerge, on top of the heap.'' According to industry consensus, daughter of former badminton champion Prakash Padukone, Deepika, who has given a riveting performance in ''Om Shanti Om'', is being hailed as the find of the season.


UNI