Deepal Shaw was born and raised in Mumbai, Maharashtra, to parents originally from Uttar Pradesh. She studied in D.P.Y.A. High School, Dadar. Her mother was born in Lucknow, while her father was born in Ayodhya. She has a younger brother. As a child, her parents encouraged her to sing, first giving her lessons when she was only six years old. She attended St. Xavier's College, where she pursued a BA in Psychology. Riding the waves of her burgeoning music career, Shaw decided to parlay her success into a career in Bollywood.
She signed on to act in Hriday Shetty's Daag - The Shades of Love. However, the project was shelved shortly thereafter. She made her acting debut in Mahesh Bhatt's controversial Kalyug, opposite Emraan Hashmi and fellow-newcomer Kunal Khemu. Portraying a porn star, Shaw's first role was generally appreciated by critics. In December 2005, she finished filming on her second venture, Karma, Confessions and Holi, directed by Manish Gupta. The international, English-language film also stars Sushmita Sen, Randeep Hooda, and Naomi Campbell, and is set for release in October 2006. She is currently working on Tumse, co-starring Irrfan Khan.