If actress Deepika Padukone were to receive a flower for every controversy she heedlessly slumped in, she’d probably resign from Bollywood to make money in horticulture.
The actress has earned the present status of being the ‘undisputed leading lady of Bollywood’ film-by-film and performance-by-performance. Alongside topping the wish list of the most sought-after directors of Bollywood, this young lady managed to be the sole-sensational noun in many controversial headlines this year.
Before dissecting the controversies that Deepika Padukone fortunately/unfortunately tumbled in, here’s a look at the scrawl of how the girl reached that spot to become the most-talked-about celebrity of Bollywood.
The actress has been that one newcomer from a non-cinematic background who made maximum headlines even before fully entering the film industry. Talking of the present, this young earner has single-handedly made a staggering addition of Rs.600 crores to Bollywood in the year 2013. A sweeping comparison with her female contemporaries, no one’s been good enough to touch her score.
Quoting from a magazine, “17 per cent of the world population knows who Deepika is.” More so because the lady has been hovering over the endorsement arena. It was reported some time back that a certain brand that had Katrina Kaif as its former ambassador, was ready to/did pay Deepika a whopping Rs 2 crore more to endorse their product amounting to a total Rs.6 crores, owe it to Deepika’s consistent and meteoric rise.
The star had her notions clear about various brand promotions, as quoted from a daily, “A hit film increases your brand value. If my success or my face helps a brand become more popular, I take that as a compliment.”
Soon after her debut with Om Shanti Om in 2007, opposite none other than the king of romance himself – Shahrukh Khan, Miss Padukone’s solo reign began with her portrayal of Mira in 2009’s romantic blockbuster Love Aaj Kal, which made non-fans too convert into her doting fans. Another film of hers named Lafangey Parindey opposite Neil Nitin Mukesh made renowned Bollywood critics take notice of her portrayal of the blind street skint but the movie did not do great at the box-office.
Harsh criticism followed post her performance in the multi-starcast films she acted in, one being 2008’s romantic comedy Bachna Ae Haseeno and the other 2010’s comedy Housefull. Finally it was the 2012’s box office hit Cocktail that sky rocketed her career in a matter of weeks. The girl earned critical acclaim and Best Actress nominations at several award ceremonies for this film.
Her films Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Chennai Express (both being among the highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time) had Deepika stealing the limelight from her superstar male co actors, Ranbir Kapoor and Shahrukh Khan respectively. It didn’t stop there, Deepika won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s tragic romance Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela. Her most recent film alongside her debut film’s mentor and mate Shahrukh, Happy New Year, became the highest grosser of 2014, pushing Aamir into well-understood cinematic-insecurity.
Now here’s looking at the biggest controversies that had Deepika Padukone in the lead, and which did more good than damage, mostly, to the actress’ being.
Cleavage Controversy
Possibly the loudest, the ugliest and the wickedest of fiascos of 2014 that dropped all jaws with its crudeness – The TOI/Deepika farce that happened in the month of September this year.
It all began with a post of a micro-blogging website that read – OMG! Deepika Cleavage Show. The post irked the actress by such proportions that she re-posted it adding this line – Yes I am a woman and yes I have a cleavage! So what!?
Soon after the micro-blogging website got flooded with posts by friends and fans supporting the actress and chiding the daily for using ‘cheap’ tactic to attract readership.
Deepika wrote an open letter to the newspaper, a portion of which read – “My issue is you propagating the objectification of a REAL person,and not a character being played. Sure,dissect my characters if you wish-if it is of so much interest then discuss the character’s cup size and leg length if it is relevant to making the role convincing. All I am asking for is respect as a woman off-screen. It is not about breasts, penises or any other body part being reported. It is a matter of context and how out-of-context the reportage is just to sell a headline. And more so during a time in dire need of an attitude shift towards women.”
The letter had the editor of the entertainment daily splash the lead columns of the next day’s newspaper with their ‘point of view’ that drew more flak to the paper than admiration.
Hiding Her Relationship With Ranveer Singh
Even though the Ranveer and Deepika were often seen cozying-up together at various night clubs and parties of common friends, Deepika forever denied a romantic connection with Ranveer Singh. No amount of prodding and even spotting of two-together could make Deepika break her silence on her relationship with the quirky actor. It extended to the limit that journalists almost wrote them off for being ‘sneaky and unsporting’.
When she was questioned on why she was choosing to fob off questions relating to Ranveer, she simply said, “So I think that was a stage in my life where I genuinely believed that I had fallen in love… I think that it was a relationship that I thought would go beyond.”
She had gone ahead to say, “For whatever reasons…I think we’re very different people and we’re not compatible. For whatever reasons it didn’t work out. And since then I wont say cautious but I think I’m very, very scared to invest emotionally in a relationship, because I don’t know how to just casually date, I don’t know how to be in this in-between dating but not committing. I don’t know that space. I want to be very sure before I’m ready to commit.”
Finding Fanny Controversy
Her film opposite Arjun Kapoor, Finding Fanny was not a smooth affair for Deepika. The film was an offbeat venture with an ensemble cast. Reason enough to draw the attention of the who’s-who of the ‘moral policing’ board of Bollywood.
The Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) had asked filmmaker Homi Adjania to remove a ‘vulgar’ line from ‘Finding Fanny’, where Deepika tells Arjun, “I am a virgin”. The hype was termed ‘unnecessary and regressive’ by many who watched the film before and after its release.
Koffee With Karan Controversy
Karan Johar invites the reigning names of Bollwyood to his show and makes the most reticent of stars talk sloppily about their personal and professional equations, of course, regretting later.
Even Johar wouldn’t have known the proportions by which the TRPs of his dear show would shoot after inviting these young, giggling girls to his coffee couch – Deepika Padukone and Sonam kapoor.
Precisely, the ‘most entertaining and brashest’ episode of the season, as called by a journalist; Sonam and Deepika left viewers open-mouthed and tee-heeing sporadically. The fact that the two actresses shared a common ex, Ranbir Kapoor, and perhaps overlapping emotions because of their relationship-debacle with him, Sonam and Deepika got along like a house on fire, even if it was as short-lived as the duration of that episode.
Right from calling ‘Katrina’ her senior and jesting Ranbir unabashedly, the episode was more of a Rant-on-Ranbir than anything else.
They didn’t intend to be disrectful to Katrina but the smirk that slipped out gave away the real intention. Amidst this, Deepika also said that she wanted to check Katrina’s passport. It was hinted by sources that Deepika was indirectly trying to question Katrina’s nationality and that she wanted to know whether Katrina had been visiting Ranbir Kapoor during his outdoor shoots or not.
Ramleela Controversy
Deepika’s mega blockbuster Ramleela opposite Ranveer Singh had legal notices lingering on to them even after release. Chief Judicial Magistrate of Lucknow had sought report from a local station of the city on social activist Nutan Thakur’s case for registration of FIR against the makers of Ramleela and its director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
As per the complaint, the makers gave this title to their film despite orders from the Allahabad High Court in a previous case filed by her.
The Court had addressed this as religion-sensitive matter that needed attention. Much to the filmmaker’s relief, the Censor Board under Leela Samson passed this film despite knowing the orders of Allahabad High Court.
The UP High Court had in fact banned this film in the state as it felt that the film hurt Hindu sentiments. Later Thakur again tried and approached the Court after the police refused to register the FIR.
Deepika’s Tirade On Her ‘Cheating Ex’ – Ranbir Kapoor
Another topic that Deepika touched during her Koffee with karan stint was her former beau Ranbir Kapoor’s lechery. Scorned, as the actress sounded on the show, Deepika couldn’t help but hint how much of an infidel Ranbir was while the two were in a relationship.
After the show when media persons confronted Deepika with the allegation she had once put on Ranbir Kapoor about having cheated on her. She had said a sweeping statement,“He should work on his boyfriend skills” when Karan had asked her the advice she would give to Ranbir. Later, during the Rapid Fire round of the show, she went on record saying that “Ranbir Kapoor should endorse condoms!”
There also were rumours of Deepika’s eventual sour equations with Ranbir’s father Rishi Kapoor after her break-up with Ranbir, she had responded to it saying, “I don’t think there was ever an issue there. I think people made it an even bigger issue. For me personally, I don’t think there was ever an issue. Definitely, not between Ranbir and me for sure. And even if there was, it never reached me. I think which is why we can even do a film like ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ and still have that kind of understanding and chemistry.”
Ironically, their film Bachna Ae Haseeno didn’t do that well at the box office while they were in a relationship but the film they did after their break-up – Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani – broke box office records.
The two actors are again getting together for Imtiaz Ali’s Tamasha. Ranbir has worked with Imtiaz in Rockstar and Deepika has worked with the director in Love Aaj Kal.
Dum Maro Dum Controversy
Deepika Padukone’s ‘Dum Maro Dum’ (from the namesake film) had left the even the item-song loving audience flabbergasted. It was the choice of words for the lyrics of the song by lyricist Jaideep Sahni and Deepika’s thoughts behind choosing the song that was questioned by many.
A lyricist had said, “What were the makers thinking when they chose such crude lyrics for the song. It is fine to be cheesy at times but if you tell me that lyrics like ‘Aaj mere liye chair kheech raha hai, kal meri skirt kheechega’ is trendy then sorry, I guess I am at a wrong place.”
It wasn’t just the words that upset people but ‘Deepika’s moves and the strategic points at which camera has been placed on her anatomy’ also garnered negative reactions from public and people from the industry alike.
A trade observer had said, “You can be progressive but if you make audience hear lyrics like ‘potty pe baithe nanga’ then they are bound to cringe.
Jaiddep Sahni said in an interview, “These lines are actually taken from a longer piece of rap, written specifically for a situation of drug pushers and users in a drug induced delirium. The rap form was chosen because it’s very effective in reflecting anti-establishment thought and behaviour, and usage of strong words to make a larger meaning is inherent to the very form.”
It was heard that song had tremendously disappointed Dev Anand and Zeenat Aman, the veterans who were the part of the yerteryear’s film Dum Maaro Dum.
Most ‘Hyped’ Newcomer In Bollywood
Years back in 2007, when a journalist questioned Deepika if she knew that she is the ‘most hyped newcomer around’? The actress couldn’t have gurned worse to finally respond with, “Not really. Maybe when I read a stuff written about me, I feel that but it has nothing to do with me. I guess the hype is more because I’m already a known face as a model and because Farah Khan is launching me opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om (OSO).”
It was tried hard to keep the identity of the actress guarded for a very long time until the trailers of OSO finally hit the screens.
The actress said it clear that for somebody like her who comes from an absolutely non-filmy background, Bollywood for her was buying a Rs. 150 ticket and sitting in an air-conditioned theatre. To her, heroines were the sacred, gorgeous women that resided in the city of dreams – Mumbai.
Even before the release of her first film, because she’s a known name in the Telgu film industry, Deepika was tagged notorious for keeping producer Boney Kapoor waiting for over three hours at a screening for the Telugu film Pokhiri, which she later clarified was false.
She was time and again, before the release of OSO, linked to Ranbir Kapoor and Nihar Pandya, Ranbir she consistently denied but Nihar she did accept.
Upen Patel Controversy
Perhaps, the most embarrassing controversy that had left Deepika red-faced was when her MMS with her ex model and actor Upen Patel leaked for public consumption. The MMS had the two getting physically intimate. It happened during a very early phase in Deepika’s life, even before she had made her debut in Bollywood.
Post it there flew rumours that Upen and Deepika were both struggling then and had no name in the industry so to rise to fame overnight, they were asked to get physically intimate by the model, which brought unnecessary negative glare on Deepika’s life. Their relationship ended soon after this controversy.
When, sometime ago Upen was questioned on the same issue, he had said, “It’s my fate I guess. Every few days there’s some news item written about me, which states that a source saw me doing this and that. Pray, who are those sources? Why don’t they name them? And why don’t they publish the pictures when they claim to have witnessed so much?”
Jaw-Dropping Facts About Deepika
After that array of controversies that petite actress has gone into, here’s concluding this piece, giving you some barely-known facts about the star –
1. She was not the first choice for Chennai Express
Rohit Shetty originally wanted Kareena Kapoor to do the role, but she couldn’t because of her schedule and Deepika stepped in.
2. Himesh Reshammiya gave Deepika her first break
Deepika Padukone starred in a Himesh Reshammiya music video titled, ‘Naam Hai Tera’. Farah Khan first noticed Deepika in this song.
3. Learned dance from Shiamak Davar and acting from Anupam Kher
4. She’s big on giving back to the community
The actress has adopted the village of Ambegaon in Maharashtra, to help them with their water and electricity needs. She also works for her father’s organization, Olympic Gold Quest, aiming owards the betterment of Indian atheletes.
5. Om Shanti Om was not supposed to be her first Hindi film
Farah Khan had originally signed Deepika for Happy New Year she couldn’t make the film at that time so she instead roped her in for Om Shanti Om. Before all this, Deepika did her television stint with a Lyril ad that was received really well by all in the fashion and film industry.
6. She played Badminton at the national level
Like father like daughter. If not more than Deepika was just as good as her father, ace badminton player, Prakash Padukone in badminton.
8. Deepika mostly chose to wear clothes from Zara at all high profile dos.
9. She was living in with Nihar Pandya during her initial year in Mumbai.
10. Deepika was apparently gifted a flat in the plush Beau Monde towers in Prabhadevi worth Rs. 16 crores by her then boyfriend Sidharth Mallya.
11. As a child, Deepika didn’t have too many friends.
12. She began her career as a full-time model in 2004 under Prasad Bidapa.
All those facts and controversies only make Deepika a star much bigger.
No comments:
Post a Comment