Controversies, judgements and publicly discussed private life: Deepika Padukone’s art of living involves quietly swimming against the tide

What differentiates Deepika Padukone from her contemporaries is that she has been relentlessly subjected to attacks and threats, which have shaped, more than the actor that she is, the star that she has become.

There is an end credits sequence in Imtiaz Ali’s Tamasha, where Ranbir Kapoor’s Ved and Deepika Padukone’s Tara are back in Corsica, dancing alone, happily, with headphones plugged in. The world hears faint atmospheric sound, but they dance to a great AR Rahman music in their head. That’s pretty much how Deepika Padukone, one of the biggest female stars of the generation, has led her life off screen. Over a clearly soaring Bollywood career with major tumultuous phases, she has mastered one crucial art: Of remaining quiet and turning all the noise around her into musical notes. The actor, who celebrates her 38th birthday on Friday, has always been dancing her way.

Only a few female stars, who made their debut in the last decade or so, have been able to stamp their identity so strongly in public conscience the way Deepika Padukone has. And it isn’t even about her movie catalogue anymore, which anyway oscillates between big blockbusters, projects with prestige directors and a few charming mid-sized projects. Deepika Padukone in 2023 stands as the sum total of not only how the audience has reacted to her through the years but also how she has handled those reactions.

The rise of the dignified

What clearly differentiates Deepika from any of her contemporaries–except, say, Alia Bhatt–is that she is the only one who has been relentlessly subjected to attacks from all corners. All the threats, allegations, judgements have shaped, more than the actor that she is, the star that she has become.

For a decade in her Bollywood career–starting with the 2007 debut Om Shanti Om–Deepika firmly placed herself as the sensational new star on the block, who would march with confidence working with a Shah Rukh Khan (Chennai Express, Happy New Year), teaming up with Ranbir Kapoor (Yeh Jawani Hai Deewaani, Tamasha) and emerging a winner in films which rode on her shoulders (Cocktail, Piku). But in 2018, Deepika underwent her first major career reshuffle which altered her public perception forever.

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali found himself in the middle of a nationwide political storm with Padmaavat, as the historical drama drew protests for its apparent misrepresentation of Rani Padmavati, who was played by Deepika. The actor came under fire, with a BJP leader even placing a $1.5 million bounty on her head, but Deepika seemed to remain clam, letting it out that she was “angry and amused” but not “scared” with the backlash. The protests, widespread and violent, eventually delayed the film’s release by a month. In hindsight, Deepika had only just tasted what it feels like to be at the receiving end of a machinery that’s determined to pull her down. It was ugly, but for the actor, it was just the start.

Standing tall, all coloured

Two years later, Deepika made the boldest move of her career, by just standing tall. Days before the release of her maiden production Chhapaak, the actor participated in a protest at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, in response to the 2020 JNU attack and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act which sparked massive social media uproar. Her single, silent visit to JNU led to Twitter trends calling for boycott of the film and her. Her images–dressed in sharp black, at the campus on the cold January night in Delhi to register her anguish against the JNU violence– made her stand apart from the silence of all the stars of the film industry.

While a section of the right wing called for her boycott, another cheered at the spine a female star–who was already vulnerable–displayed. One can argue if her visit dented Chhapak’s box office collections, but there is no debate that it cemented Deepika’s image of a courageous star, who was wiling to put herself on the line. But was there a price to the bravery?

Since her JNU visit, Deepika has found herself in two major controversies, one where she was summoned in connection to a drugs angle in the death case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and later when her song “Besharam Rang” from Pathaan ran into a controversy after BJP ministers and right-wing outfits claimed the track insulted the saffron colour, “which is holy for the Hindu community.”

In these two instances, the design was to hit Deepika where it hurts the most– her public image, to paint her as an ‘immoral’, irresponsible, anti-India modern day woman. Her past movie scenes and interviews were taken out of context, her saffron-coloured bikini almost serving as a free pass for a section to display their inherent vulgarity, with even the Padmaavat controversy coming in handy, as an apparent proof that there was always a pattern of her going against the Indian culture.

It wasn’t always politically motivated though. Her recent appearance on Koffee with Karan with her actor husband Ranveer Singh sparked off a major moral debate when she said that the couple was allowed to date other people in the beginning of their relationship, but they kept coming back to each other. A revelation of their personal relationship understanding led to a meltdown for many, who were harsh to react and quick to judge. For Deepika, who by 2023 is now used to the drill, this was perhaps just another Monday.

Breaking her silence over how the Padmaavat and JNU controversies affected her, Deepika gave a vaguely worded reply to Time magazine last year, saying, “I don’t know if I’m supposed to feel something about it. But the truth is, I don’t feel anything about it.” It isn’t some loosely worded statement, for Deepika knew the weight each alphabet of her answer would carry but a rather cleverly thought-out way to hold back more than what one gives.

By not legitimizing these incidents through a response, Deepika is reducing these said events to mere bullet points in her career. They exist as facts, that this happened, rather than feelings, of what she must have felt while it was happening. The silence–or vaguely worded answers–isn’t always through dignity but also strategy. If there is no reaction, something people desperately want out of her, there is nothing to bounce back on. These are just blips, which exist in the orbit of her stardom, which only becomes more and more exclusive if she remains mum.

It seems that the intent now is to not be a vocal star but be bold, big and elusive. If she was still accessible earlier, commenting on her relationships, career and competition openly, Deepika today is unattainable, a move naturally aided by her own admission of being an introvert.

The actor in 2024 has three big films lined up, starting with Hrithik Roshan’s Fighter, Prabhas’ Kalki 2898 AD and an appearance in Singham Again. Post Koffee with Karan, there hasn’t been anything that has ruffled feathers of those who are quick to get offended but Deepika’s journey screams quite clearly that controversies can turn you into headlines, but it’s eventually your conduct that makes you a bonafide star. If you hear closely, maybe Deepika is dancing to the melody of this truth.