Deepika Padukone is one of the names on the Hollywood Walk of Fame class of 2026 list, becoming the first Indian to get a star on the famed boulevard.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday released a list of 35 individuals from motion pictures, television, live theatre, recording, and sports entertainment for inclusion in the Walk of Fame.
Padukone was named in the motion pictures category alongside actors and filmmakers Emily Blunt, Timothée Chalamet, Chris Columbus, Marion Cotillard, and Demi Moore.
The list also included Miley Cyrus, Josh Groban, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shaquille O’Neal, and chef Gordon Ramsay.
“We are excited to announce the newest selection of 35 esteemed individuals who will be enshrined onto the Walk of Fame as part of the prestigious Class of 2026,” Peter Roth, former Warner Bros Television CEO and chairman of the Walk of Fame selection committee, said. “These talented individuals have made significant contributions to the world of entertainment, and we are thrilled to honor them with this well-deserved recognition.”
“We are honoured to welcome you to the Walk of Fame Class of 2026,” the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce wrote on Instagram.
Dates for the star ceremonies are yet to be scheduled. Recipients are given two years from selection date to schedule the ceremonies, after which the honour expires if unclaimed.
Padukone made her debut with Kannada film Aishwarya in 2006 and starred in Bollywood’s Om Shanti Om the following year opposite megastar Shah Rukh Khan. The film became the highest grossing Hindi film of the year and won Padukone a Filmfare award.
She went on to become one of Bollywood’s highest-paid and most recognisable stars, headlining a string of both critically acclaimed and commercially successful films such as Piku, Chennai Express, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, and Bajirao Mastani.
She made her Hollywood debut in 2017 opposite Vin Diesel in xXx: Return of Xander Cage where she played field operative Serena Unger.
Padukone, an advocate of mental health issues, recently spoke of the importance of work-life balance after Larsen & Toubro chair SN Subrahmanyan backed a 90-hour work week during a company interaction.
“If I can make you work on Sundays, I’ll be more happy. What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife or how long can the wife stare at the husband?” he had said, adding that working 90 hours a week was necessary to “stay on top of the world”.
In a social media post, Padukone responded: “Shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements. #MentalHealthMatters.”
The actor, who had a baby girl with husband Ranveer Singh in 2024, was subjected to hostile criticism over their daughter’s name.
The couple shared a picture of their daughter on social media with the caption stating her name was “Dua”, an Arabic word meaning “prayer” or “supplication”.
Shortly after the post went up, the couple were inundated with criticism, with many Indians questioning the use of a word they associated with Islam as opposed to one associated with Hinduism, the religion of the actors and the vast majority of India’s population.
