Who’s afraid of Deepika Padukone?

However this isn’t the primary time Deepika has been known as Besharam in her profession. Through the years, information channels, politicians, social media customers, and even the odd promoting government have discovered themselves offended by Deepika’s opinions, her waistline, her necklines and hemlines and even her selection of movies. Nonetheless, like she at all times does, or virtually at all times, Deepika handled the hatred and the non-public assaults by sustaining a dignified silence.

Love her or hate her one can’t deny that Deepika has not solely confirmed herself to be a great actor, however she has cemented her place as a trend icon on the world stage as effectively. Final yr she signed endorsement offers with high-end European manufacturers and the sports activities big Adidas. She has additionally launched her personal skincare model and continued to talk publicly in regards to the significance of addressing the stigmas round psychological well being. However with nice success usually come nice controversies.

Although Deepika had a wonderful debut with Om Shanti Om reverse Shah Rukh Khan, what adopted had been a collection of mediocre performances the place she primarily performed second fiddle to the Khans and one Kumar ruling B city. A nasty breakup with Ranbir and the ghost of different boyfriends previous threatened to take everybody’s focus off her profession {and professional} achievements, until she surprised us all with an exquisite efficiency as Veronica in Cocktail.

Her huge industrial breakthrough got here as Sanjay Leela Bhansali then solid her reverse Ranveer Singh in Goliyon ki Rasleela, Ram Leela. Ranveer was additionally simply a few movies previous. The remainder, as they are saying, was the start of superstardom. The movie went on to be vastly profitable however not earlier than Deepika’s first tryst with political outfits taking offence to a movie’s identify due to its potential non secular references.

A few years later got here Padmaavat which confronted an enormous backlash, with some political and non secular outfits threatening to disfigure Deepika. The truth that Padmaavat was based mostly on an epic poem by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi and never verified historic occasions appeared to be a reality forgotten by most. Deepika’s waistline additionally created an enormous furore and maybe for the primary time in cinematic historical past, a number one woman’s shirt was digitally lengthened to purchase peace.

Simply earlier than the discharge of Chappak in 2019, her maiden enterprise as a producer, Deepika stood in silence with JNU college students in Delhi who had been attacked after they participated within the anti CAA protests in Delhi. Many felt it was a publicity stunt for her upcoming movie, however making a public look alongside a gaggle of scholars taking an anti-establishment stand was an immensely courageous factor to do. Particularly at a time when Bollywood turned its eyes away from politics and it’s affairs and remained deafeningly quiet.

Within the aftermath of Sushant Singh Rajput’s demise in 2020, Kangana Ranaut accused Deepika of faking her battle with melancholy and requested her to not power a psychological sickness angle into Sushant’s demise. Deepika selected to not remark or reply to Kangana’s vicious private assaults however remained dedicated to the reason for eradicating taboos round psychological well being.

The one time she seemingly reacted with out taking any names was when adman Freddy Birdy shared an oddly sexist publish commenting on the Ananya Pandey and Deepika Padukone’s garments whereas selling Gehraiyaan. Freddy, who’s in any other case fairly the seemingly progressive wordsmith wrote, “Newton’s Regulation of Bollywood: The Garments will get tinier because the Gehraiyaan launch date approaches.”

Freddy’s followers had been additionally shocked on the sexist undertones of his publish and even the normally non-confrontational Ms. Padukone responded with a cryptic Instagram story the place she wrote, “Scientists say the universe is product of protons, neutrons and electrons. They forgot to say morons.” The confrontation didn’t finish there. Freddy then hit again with one other publish claiming he was not shaming her for her selection of garments and went to say that calling him a moron was the one non-fake factor she had mentioned in her whole profession. The storm quickly blew over, particularly when individuals realised that Gehraiyaan had mockingly little depth however shaming ladies for his or her selection of garments in by no means acceptable.

After that one notorious chat with Karan Johar the place she took digs at Ranbir for being untrue, Deepika has chosen the trail of silence over sensationalism. Her lack of response, atleast publicly, whereas coping with controversies may be perceived as political correctness or as an absence of braveness. Nonetheless, at a time when artwork in more and more being tainted by political propaganda and dignity is difficult to search out, maybe Deepika is saying it greatest when she says nothing in any respect.

Quickly promotions for Pathaan will start and we’ll see much more of Ms. Padukone within the public eye once more. There are more likely to be many extra controversies across the movie which members of the bulk celebration in India appear to be attacking with glee. However we hope that simply as she has dealt with controversies up to now with restraint and maturity, Deepika won’t enable the besharmi of others to influence her sharafat.