New mother Deepika Padukone has a lot going on in her life right now. It is good to see she has her priorities in place. Recently, she made headlines for two different reasons: First, she boldly demanded an eight-hour working day—which indirectly forced her out of Spirit, a big-budget film by Sandeep Reddy Venga. Second, she became the first Indian female actor to be felicitated with the coveted Hollywood Walk of Fame honour. Both announcements went viral.
Filmmaking is filmmaking. It is not a corporate job with specified working hours. Actors often shoot non-stop for days, dictated by the production schedule. While several female actors have, over the years, raised concerns about unreasonable working hours, they were ignored. Sadly, even today, there are very few takers for this entirely valid demand. Female actors, no matter how successful they are, are seen as “expendable’’ by producers and directors.
Deepika’s exit from Spirit has not affected the film’s commercial prospects. Tripti Dimri has smoothly replaced her. Meanwhile, the sequel to Cocktail—one of her breakthrough films—has been announced with a new cast, and, no, Deepika’s name does not feature there. This is the nature of the beast. Filmmaking is a tentative, uncertain gamble that remains fragile and fickle. Deepika’s star power has failed to insulate her from harsh realities which hurt female actors the most. Still, Spirit’s loss may well be her daughter Dua’s gain. I am glad Deepika took a firm stand on this contentious issue which actresses rarely table. Roles vs motherhood? For Deepika, the choice was a no-brainer.
Deepika Padukone | Imaging: Deni Lal, AFP
As for the Walk of Fame honour, that’s a different ballgame altogether. Deepika has two years to seal the deal and schedule the ceremony—those are the rules. If she fails to do so, the nomination must be resubmitted. The ‘star’ itself comes with a hefty price tag—approximately Rs72 lakh—which covers creation, installation and upkeep.
Interestingly, anyone can nominate a celebrity (fans must pay a fee to register the nomination), and final selections are made by a panel from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
In Deepika’s case, the buzz is that her name was backed by one of the luxury brands she endorses, and does not reflect her movie graph, since she has acted in just one inconsequential Hollywood film (XXX: Return of Xander Cage). Her Hollywood profile is far lower than, say, Priyanka Chopra’s, who identifies herself with the Hollywood fraternity in Los Angeles, where she lives with her family.
Deepika is an extraordinary force in the entertainment industry. Along with her husband Ranveer Singh, they form a formidable star-couple, inspiring others to push ahead and succeed. Her Live Love Laugh Foundation continues to transform lives with initiatives designed around mental health and wellness conversations.
As a successful businesswoman who invests in startups and has her own line of beauty and wellness products, Deepika clearly knows her priorities. The few times I have met her, I have marvelled at how unassuming and down to earth she is, beneath the blinding aura of her star presence. If she succeeds in rewriting the timetable for women in entertainment, the next generation of female actors will bless her for bringing a new work ethic into a chaotic industry, where all that matters is the next hit.
Too many women have paid a huge price at the altar of fame and success, pandering to professional demands imposed by powerful studio heads in a male-dominated environment. But, hey, Cocktail-2 without Deepika is like an extra dry martini without artisanal gin.
@DeShobhaa @shobhaade