'It exists now and it will continue to exist': Deepika Padukone on nepotism, offers to move overseas

Deepika Padukone is the reigning queen of Bollywood, the actor is basking in the success of her recently released film Jawan opposite SRK. Not many know, that Deepika started her career as a model and endorsed several brands before she stepped into the film world.

Deepika made her debut in Shanti Om (2007), and since then there has been no stopping.

She also got offers to move to Hollywood. But unlike Priyanka Chopra, who created a mark in the West, Deepika wanted to stay in Bollywood and always said 'India is home'.

In a recent interview with Vogue India, Deepika spoke about dealing with nepotism, her early career days as a model and much more.

In a new interview with Vogue, Deepika shared that she was told during her modelling days that she belonged in Paris and Milan and should move there. "Early on in my modelling career, I had an offer to move overseas and all of the fashion gurus in India said, 'You shouldn't be here, you should be in Paris, New York or Milan,' and I was like, 'No, those places are not my home. India is home."

On nepotism

Asked how she dealt with the 'insecurities of the insiders, Deepika replied, "I had no choice."

She said, "When you were an outsider 15 or 20 years ago, there was no other option. It's an uphill task for any individual trying to make a mark in a field or profession that their parents don't come from. The fact that we've started to articulate things like nepotism is a new trend. It existed then, it exists now and it will continue to exist. That was my reality."

Later, while talking about her struggles Deepika shared, "Back then, I had so many things to deal with, not just professionally but also personally. I was a teenager moving to a new city with no family or friends in a new industry. I had to figure out my meals (a time before Swiggy or Zomato, mind you) and transport, and lug my own bags around. I never thought of it as a burden back then. I'd finish late at night, exhausted, then carry my suitcase across town in a cab and sometimes fall asleep on the drive back home. My mother would be so worried about whether I would get home safely. Today when I look back at that journey, I think, 'Not bad, girl! You did this and you did it on your own.' But at that moment, there was no time to reflect."

Work front

Deepika will next be seen in Siddharth Anand's Fighter, in which she will be seen opposite Hrithik Roshan for the first time. The film is slated to release on January 25, 2024.