THE REAL DEAL
Deepika Padukone, 37 Actress
DEEPIKA PADUKONE WAS 21 when she made her debut in Om Shanti Om, directed by a female director, Farah Khan. It is not lost on her that it took another 13 years for her to collaborate with another—Meghna Gulzar, for Chhapaak, also the first film she produced. The gender disparity, she says, was not something she had noticed in the initial years. But, gradually, she realised how entrenched it was in the 100-year-old industry. From the difference in pay to how the hero’s vanity van is parked closer to the location or how his shot is prioritised for pack-up time, it’s so routine that it seems normal. Deepika isn’t whining, just laying out the facts. “We need to be conscious that this isn’t a men against women conversation, but about doing this together,” she says.
ACCOMPLISHMENT
Indian cinema's highest-paid actress has been creating a level-playing field for her peers
This story is from the January 01, 2024 edition of India Today.
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This story is from the January 01, 2024 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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