How Deepika Padukone kept her cool during Pathaan controversy? Actor answers

Deepika Padukone has opened up about the Pathaan controversy. The actor has revealed how she kept her cool during the boycott calls and protests against the film which was bringing Shah Rukh Khan back on screen after four years.

Hyderabad: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and the reigning queen Deepika Padukone's latest release Pathaan roared at the box office — and how! But as it's known, the period before Pathaan reached the audience was chaotic. The Besharam Rang song release triggered controversy which reverberated in Parliament and in the streets of several states calling for "Boycott Pathaan." While film's director Siddharth Anand earlier admitted that the controversy surrounding Pathaan did add to the pre-release anxiety but the leading pair of the film was apparently unfazed.

Deepika is no novice when it comes to facing uncalled-for criticism, and boycott calls. Her 2018 release film Padmaavat had seen the worst while her debut production Chhapaak too faced boycott calls after Deepika visited Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to express solidarity with students who were attacked by a mob in 2020.

When Pathaan stirred controversy, Deepika, who gained much experience in handling adversity, kept her calm. But how did she do it? The actor in a recent interview said, "experience and maturity" helped her sail through tough times while her sports background comes in handy as it taught her a lot about restraint.

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Talking about her equation with SRK, the Piku star said that her career took off because a superstar like him showed immense faith in a newcomer like her with a double role. Deepika also revealed that she bagged Om Shanti Om without auditioning for the part. According to her, the beautiful part of her relationship with SRK is that they don't need words to convey what they feel about each other as a single handhold or a hug is enough to express their feelings.