Deepika Padukone might star opposite Rajnikanth in Robot

Deepika Padukone's name is on the top of the list of contenders for the leading lady in Shankar's Rs 100 crore mega-movie Robot, starring Rajnikanth.

After a dream debut with Bollywood

HT Image

Badshaah

Shah Rukh Khan in

Om Shanti Om

, Deepika Padukone appears set to take the Southern film industry by storm by possibly grabbing a role opposite Tamil superstar Rajinikanth in the big-budget film

Robot

.

Padukone's name is "on the top of the list of contenders for heroine" in the Rs 100-crore venture by director Shankar, sources in the film production unit here said.

Shankar, who directed last year's runaway hit

Sivaji - The Boss

also starring Rajinikanth, has already teamed up with the renowned music composer AR Rehman for the film.

The 22-year-old model-turned-actress has received the Star Screen award for "most promising newcomer" and Stardust "Superstar of Tomorrow"" award.

Going by the mantra that actresses make a dent in Kollywood(Tamil film industry) after starring opposite Rajinikanth or Kamal Hassan, the media began the buzz about Deepika acting in

Robot

.

The speculation earlier was that Shah Rukh Khan would play the lead in the the film, to be made in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, before Shankar succeeded in getting the Tamil matinee idol to agree.