Recently ranked the fourth highest paid actress in India according to Forbes 
magazine, Deepika Padukone has achieved feats as an actress that were seen as mere dreams not too long ago. The very glamorous Deepika Padukone has been setting standards consistently, year after year. Topping the list of Asia’s 50 sexiest women, she is the epitome of glamour and hard work. Through her unwavering determination and strong will, she has thrived to stand against discriminatory practices in the Indian film industry. Specifically, practices relating to wage disparities between male and female artists in Bollywood.
An age-old notion in Bollywood was the mindset that actresses in the industry start hitting a downward spiral in their career once they got married. Thankfully, the industry and the country, in general, have evolved past this phasic misconception, as evident in the cases of actresses such as Anushka Sharma and Kareena Kapoor Khan who continued to deliver blockbuster hits doing a variety of roles post marriage.
In an interview with FIlmare, Deepika Padukone, who recently made countless headlines after her fairytale wedding with long term boyfriend who soon after became her fiancé, was asked about her thoughts on whether the industry is currently moving away from the stereotype that marital status continues to adversely affect the careers of actresses in Bollywood. Deepika replied with – “I guess, previously, it was the person’s choice more than box office diktats. If actresses didn’t work after marriage, it was their decision to prioritise something else over work.” She continued – “I’m sure the millennial woman doesn’t feel like that. When you don’t feel like that, it won’t be that way.” The interviewer then asked if her marriage will affect the kind of film offers she will say yes to in the future; Deepika replied stating that rather than marriage, it is the journey of life that would affect her future endeavors. “The kind of films that I do today and the films I did five years ago are different because I was in a creatively different space then. But marriage is not going to change anything.” said the 33-year-old actress.
Known for pushing the envelope forward in terms of women rights in the industry, the bold reply is nothing less than expected from the successful actress and recently turned producer. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Deepika Padukone who is currently awaiting the filming of her first project as a producer – Chhapaak, a take on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal, which shall be produced under her newly launched production house ‘Ka’.