Actress Deepika Padukone, who was last seen as a caring and selfless daughter in this year's hit movie "Piku", says it's her mother who keeps the family together and inspires her.

She is the daughter of former badminton ace Prakash Padukone and has a sister who is a golf player, but it's her mother that she looks up to the most.

"We all inspire each other in different ways, but it's my mother who inspires me the most. She is the backbone of our family. My father is a celebrity and my sister started her golf career, but my mother was never in the spotlight.

"She is happy taking a backseat. My mother is the real hero in my family," Deepika told reporters after being felicitated with Woman of the Year award at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend and Awards here on Sunday.

The actress, who has given hits like "Happy New Year" and "Cocktail", says she has experienced different phases in her career.


"'Om Shanti Om' wasn't quintessential debut film. I played double role in the film. One was classic and the other one contemporary. I like to do films with challenging roles. I know I've made mistakes, but I am proud of those films as they taught me something. I don't come from a film background and I didn't even know how to deliver dialogues, so it has been a learning experience," said the "Piku" st ar.

"'Cocktail' is the turning point of my career and t he most recent is 'Piku'," she added.