Sonam Kapoor sends birthday wishes to Deepika Padukone with a throwback moment - See PIC

Deepika Padukone rang in her birthday on January 5, 2026, with warm messages pouring in from across the film industry. While several celebrities took to social media to celebrate the actor, one particular wish stood out, Sonam Kapoor’s Instagram story for the ‘Piku’ star.Marking the occasion, Sonam shared an old photograph featuring the two actresses on her Instagram Stories. Keeping it simple, she captioned the image with a brief “Happy Birthday Deepika,” instantly catching the attention of fans, given their much-discussed history.In the frame, Sonam was seen sporting a black outfit, while Deepika turned heads in a striking orange ensemble, both posing together. For years, there has been speculation about tension between Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor. This speculation began in 2008 when they both made their Bollywood debuts on the same day, both debuting in first films that were released on the same day, and because of this the media started to label them as contemporaries in competition. The speculation was intensified due to their proximity to another debutant, Ranbir Kapoor.Chatter about the suspected rift between Deepika and Sonam began to grow after Deepika had a reunion with Ranbir in 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' and was seen at his birthday party, which Sonam was believed to have been invited. The buzz surrounding the rift intensified with both actresses appearing together on 'Koffee with Karan' Season 3 where viewers pointed out some subtle jabs and candid comments between them, especially regarding Ranbir.In a later season of the talk show, Sonam appeared alongside her father Anil Kapoor and made comments whenever Deepika’s name came up. Asked to offer fashion advice for Deepika, Sonam suggested that she should “create your own style,” while also drawing a comparison with Katrina Kaif, praising her effortless individuality over frequent magazine appearances.Sonam also once referred to Deepika as a “good girl gone bad” and remarked that the actor had something she didn’t, an “over enthusiastic PR team.” As stated by Mid-Day, at the time, reports pointed out that both actresses were represented by the same management agency.Shortly after each other’s comments, Deepika opened up about how important it is to raise public awareness regarding mental health issues, to which Sonam responded with another chance remark, suggesting that she wouldn’t need to use social media to promote her support of a specific cause if she ever supported it.After several years worth of speculation, along with years worth of pointed comments/remarks between Sonam and Deepika, the recent birthday wish that Sonam posted for Deepika has generated new speculation, with fans asking themselves whether there has been any real progress in bridging the divide between the two actresses.