Actress Deepika Padukone, who has been quite open and honest about her opinions, recently spoke about her journey in Hollywood. Deepika shared that people on the other side of the world still have a very old image of India in their minds, and that during her time there, she refused to reinforce any of the stereotypes they hold about Indians.
During an event hosted by CNBC TV18 recently, Deepika was asked about her conscious efforts to bring India to the global stage. “I would say it’s very intentional. I’ve been very clear about taking India to the world, but the India I know. For example, coming into Hollywood and doing certain things that are expected of us or suit a global audience was something I never wanted to do,” Deepika said. The actress made her Hollywood debut with the 2017 film XXX: Return of Xander Cage. Since then, Deepika has signed with several international brands and is a constant presence on the global scene.
Read also: Coach’s insult after crushing defeat to Pak inspired Shah Rukh Khan’s greatest film; The actor “escaped” to England, confident he would fail
She said that during her many visits to the West, she often noticed that people had a very old and outdated image of Indians. The actress admitted that she was offered cliched roles that did not depend on her ethnicity. “I think what bothered me every time I went to the West is the kind of idea they have about India. It’s so different from the country I know. I’ve experienced all those clichés firsthand. Whether it’s about the cast, our accent or the color of my skin,” she said.
Deepika mentioned that her conscious decision not to buy what she didn’t believe in made her take the longer route. “I was very clear that I was going to do this my way and on my terms. Did it take longer? Yes, it did. In a recent interview I talked about the Louis Vuitton campaign I did. They put up these billboards all over Sunset Boulevard. I happened to be in Los Angeles at the time, and it felt strange, but at the same time I felt proud. It was nice to see a brown face on a billboard for a global luxury brand. I had never seen that before, and I felt like it was a victory for every woman,” Deepika said. “Indian.”
Deepika has been involved with luxury brand Louis Vuitton since 2020. According to a report by Elle, the actor accounted for more than 25 per cent of the value of the media impact generated by the brand during the Cannes Film Festival. She also endorses brands like Cartier, Levi’s, Adidas, Hilton Hotels, Dyson, and more.
(Tags for translation)Deepika Padukone
