Inside Deepika Padukone’s Rs 15,000 worth hampers gifted to fans: Weighted blanket, sleep mask and Deepika’s handwritten notes

Deepika Padukone is celebrating her 40th birthday today (January 5) surrounded by friends and family in the US. A few days before her big day, Deepika hosted a private fan meet in Mumbai. The intimate gathering had her fans from all over the country, treating them with some quality time with, a lavish buffet, little customised surprises, handwritten notes, and grand gift hampers.

Photos and videos from the meet and greet are now going viral on social media. According to a fan on Reddit, Deepika paid for the back-and-forth flight tickets of more than 50 fans to attend the event. She also gifted them 5 kg gift hampers, which reportedly cost around Rs 15,000 per hamper.

The huge hampers gifted to the fans by Deepika included a weighted blanket – a brand which has prices ranging from Rs 4500-12000, depending on the type of blanket, H&M silk eye mask priced at Rs 1200, an IKEA ROSENSKÄRM ergonomic pillow of Rs 1690, and a few products from her skincare brand 82°E. Her own brand’s items included a Lotus Splash Conditioning Cleanser worth Rs 1200, Ashwagandha Bounce Face Moisturizer costing Rs 960, and a Rs 930 worth Turmeric Shield Sunscreen. Basically, per return gift was priced at around Rs 12,000.

Besides the expensive gift hamper, the fans who were flown in from various states, were received from the airport by car’s arranged by the actor’s team. Moreover, each car had a letter and welcome basket waiting for them. The basket had different snacks to enjoy on their way to the venue – a box of nuts and seeds, an ORS tetra pack, bottled coconut water, etc. Titled ‘A Day Of Gratitude With Deepika Padukone’, the letter read, “Thankyou for taking the time and making the journey today…I look forward to seeing you soon!”

In one of the fan posts on social media, there were also glimpses of the buffet, with fancy food items and mocktails. The menu of the buffet had several options, from chicken, fish to cheese platters, bite-sized pastries and delicious gourmet drinks. The venue was themed in red, mahroon, and shades of golden, giving a Christmas theme vibe. It had a big Christmas tree, personalised Christmas ornaments for fans, and a wall to write handwritten notes for their favourite, Deepika Padukone. The open garden area was decorated with huge beautiful chandeliers, red roses, and glass hangings.

Deepika ensured to read the letters of her fans and met each and everyone personally in the intimate setting. Earlier, many other videos showing fans singing the Om Shanti Om song ‘Ankhon Mein Teri’ for Deepika as she cut a giant aesthetic maroon birthday cake, also surfaced on the internet. The actor also reacted to her husband Ranveer Singh’s latest blockbuster Dhurandhar’s success. While having heartfelt conversations with her fans, Deepika Padukone spoke about embracing motherhood, mental health struggles, and much more.

Meanwhile, Deepika also announced a new initiative on her birthday, promising to empower the next generation of creative talent. Taking to her Instagram handle, she shared a video and said, “This past year, I’ve been feeling very strongly about identifying incredible creative talent from across the country and beyond and giving them a platform to be seen, heard and experienced. I am beyond thrilled to announce the launch of The OnSet Program and truly cannot wait to introduce all of you to the next generation of creative talent.”

The 40-year-old aims to provide training opportunities to new talent through the programme, which can be a launch pad for people who can handle their own projects. The programme’s first phase will be available for writing, direction, camera, lighting, editing, sound designing, art direction, costume designing, hair styling, make-up artistry and production.