Deepika Padukone responds to ‘Kalki 2’ controversy

The makers of “Kalki 2898 AD” recently shocked everyone by announcing that Deepika Padukone would not be part of the film’s sequel. Earlier, reports also surfaced that director Sandeep Reddy Vanga was unhappy with her strict “8-hour working rule” and other conditions when he considered casting her as the lead in “Spirit.”

These two incidents sparked controversy, with many labeling Deepika as “unprofessional.” She faced trolling from social media users and even criticism from within the film industry. Until now, Deepika had remained silent on the matter.

In a recent interview with CNBC-TV18, Deepika finally broke her silence. “By virtue of being a woman, that comes across as being pushy or whatever, so be it. It’s no secret that a lot of superstars — especially male superstars — in the Indian film industry have been working for 8 hours for years, but it never made headlines,” she clarified.

Deepika further pointed out that the film industry lacks structure despite being called an ‘industry’.

“We are very disorganized. It’s time we brought some systems and discipline into this culture,” she said. She also hinted at a double standard, noting, “I know several other actresses who recently became mothers and have chosen to work only 8 hours a day, yet that hasn’t made headlines.”

Currently, Deepika Padukone is working on Allu Arjun’s pan-Indian sci-fi film being directed by Atlee as well Shah Rukh Khan’s “King.”