Actor Deepika Padukone made her Bollywood debut in 2007 with her debut film Om Shanti Om, and it became a massive hit. Despite getting offers from the West, the actress always maintained that ‘India is home’ and stayed in the country.
In a new interview with Vogue, Deepika revealed how she was told during her modelling days that she belonged in Paris and Milan and should move there. “Early on in my modelling career, I had an offer to move overseas and all of the fashion gurus in India said, ‘You shouldn’t be here, you should be in Paris, New York or Milan,’ and I was like, ‘No, those places are not my home. India is home,'” Deepika said.
Even today, Deepika mentioned how she would not shift her base to the West, despite having starred in 2017 Hollywood action-thriller XXX: Return of Xander Cage. She asked, “Why do I need to move with bags and baggage to have a global impact?”
In 2023, the actress witnessed a successful year with two superhits, Pathaan and Jawan, as they both did a business of over Rs 1000 crore. But it cannot be ruled out that she had her share of hardships during the beginning of her career .
Asked about dealing with the insecurities of the insiders, Deepika replied, “I had no choice.” She further explained, “When you were an outsider 15 or 20 years ago, there was no other option. It’s an uphill task for any individual trying to make a mark in a field or profession that their parents don’t come from. The fact that we’ve started to articulate things like nepotism is a new trend. It existed then, it exists now and it will continue to exist. That was my reality.”
Despite the hardships, she is elated that she emerged triumphant amid it all. She said, “Back then, I had so many things to deal with, not just professionally but also personally. I was a teenager moving to a new city with no family or friends in a new industry. I had to figure out my meals and transport, and lug my own bags around. I never thought of it as a burden back then.”
Deepika Padukone is now awaiting her next big release, Fighter, along with Hrithik Roshan and Anil Kapoor. It will be released on Republic Day 2024.
