“There’s nothing small about this bag,” Deepika Padukone declares with a smirk. “This is literally my party bag.”
In a Vogue India segment that gives fans a peek into the star’s day-to-day essentials, Padukone reveals that her handbag is a mini survival kit. “I basically carry my whole house in my bag,” she jokes at the start. From skincare and stationery to sentimental keepsakes, here’s what makes the cut.
One of the most sentimental items in her bag is her keychain, which holds keys to just about every part of her house. “These are my house keys—extremely important,” she says, holding them up. “It has all of my keys—the main door, back door, safe, master bedroom, guest bedroom, bathroom, all of the keys.” But what really makes them special is a miniature touch of France. “This one’s really special because I picked it up on one of my travels to Paris… these are cute baby macarons, and it just brings a smile to my face every time I see this.”
While some people prioritise credit cards, Deepika swears by her laminated airline cards. “My airline cards are more important than my credit cards,” she says proudly. It’s a habit she inherited from her mother, a travel agent, who instilled in her the importance of collecting miles from the age of 18. “I like that feeling of taking this out of my wallet and presenting it at the counter. I’ve already surprised the person across the counter because they’re shocked that I even have the card.”
As someone constantly on the move, Padukone admits it’s important to carry something that anchors her. “What I think an actor should always carry in their bag is a memory of something… something that keeps them grounded,” she says. Whether it’s a photo of family or a sentimental object, it helps her stay rooted while traveling between cities or countries every few days.
She may be a global icon, but Deepika leans into the analog world when it comes to writing. “My notebook—also extremely important. I’m a little old school like that,” she confesses. “Most people nowadays go into their mobile phone, but I prefer writing things down.” The habit came from her father, badminton legend Prakash Padukone, who taught her the importance of always making notes. “This is something my father taught me. I prefer writing things down, and I carry a pencil.”
To complete her “stationery kit,” she carries a pencil, not just to write but also for a clever acting hack. “There’s an exercise where you put the pencil in your mouth and you say [your dialogue], and when you take it out, the words start flowing easily. So that’s another hack.”
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From a face mist for long-haul flights (“It makes my skin feel and look really fresh”) to a mouth freshener, Deepika’s beauty stash is designed for efficiency. But functionality doesn’t end there. Her “most essential kit” is basically a miniature pharmacy and beauty bar. “It has all the medicines… wet wipes, tampons, there’s a nail file, Alka-Seltzer if you’re hungover, safety pins, which are extremely important, band-aid… it has everything.”
She also pulls out a travel adapter that works across countries, a godsend for someone constantly hopping between time zones. “When I first started traveling, I had to carry a whole bag of adapters. And then I found this gold.”
Pandemic-era problems required creative solutions. For Deepika, one of them came in the form of a phone stand. “This guy here became my best friend during the pandemic because we were doing Zoom calls and I didn’t always have my laptop on me,” she says. Adjustable for better camera angles, it ensures her nostrils “don’t show too much” during video calls.
Every woman can relate to the frustration of not having a hair tie when you need one. “Every woman who’s seeing this will feel me,” she says. “That feeling when you can’t find a scrunchie… that’s so frustrating.” So, naturally, there’s always a hair tie in her bag.
