Actor Deepika Padukone has recently been in the spotlight for exiting Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, reportedly over her request for an 8-hour workday, sparking a larger conversation about work-life balance in the film industry. She has also stepped away from Kalki 2898 AD, with the makers stating that the project demands a “higher level of commitment”.

Now, Deepika seems to have addressed the controversy around it all, stating she’s never been afraid to ask questions, challenge norms, and push boundaries to redefine the expectations placed on women.

Deepika speaks up

On Tuesday, IMDb released a report, titled 25 Years of Indian Cinema (2000-2025), featuring an analysis of the Indian film industry’s evolution over the past quarter century.

The report examines the top five most popular Indian movies released each year between January 1, 2000, and August 31, 2025.

Amongst the actors with The Most Popular Titles in 25 years of Indian cinema (2000-2025), Deepika Padukone is in 4th spot. The report further highlighted that out of the 130 movies (top five from each year between 2000 and 2025) analysed, 10 feature Deepika.

Shah Rukh Khan takes the top spot with 20 titles, followed by Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan with 11 titles. Deepika is above Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Anushka Sharma, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ajay Devgn, Prabhas and Alia Bhatt.

Reacting to featuring in the list, Deepika spoke about how women are often told how to navigate their career in order to be successful, stressing she is determined to challenge it.

“When I began my journey, I was often told how a woman must or is expected to navigate her career in order to be successful. However, from the very beginning, I was never afraid to ask questions, ruffle feathers, walk a more difficult path and challenge the status quo in order to reshape the mould we have all been expected to fit into,” Deepika said.

The new mom continued, “The faith my family, fans and collaborators have had in me, have also empowered me to make the choices and decisions that I have, hopefully forever altering the path those after me will tread. IMDb’s Report on 25 Years of Indian Cinema further validates and strengthens my belief that honesty, authenticity and resilience matter, and that by being true to your core beliefs with consistency, change is possible.”

Deepika in the spotlight

Earlier this month, Vyjayanthi Movies announced Deepika’s exit from the film in a statement on X. “This is to officially announce that @deepikapadukone will not be a part of the upcoming sequel to Kalki 2898 AD. After careful consideration, we have decided to part ways. Despite the long journey of making the first film, we were unable to find a partnership. A film like Kalki 2898 AD deserves that commitment and much more. We wish her the best with her future works,” the statement read.

Later, a source told NDTV, “Deepika Padukone wanted a 25 per cent increase in her acting fee compared to what she earned for the first part of the film. Additionally, she insisted on limiting her daily shooting schedule to a 7-hour shift. The producers offered her the convenience of a luxury vanity for rest periods in exchange for longer working hours, but she declined. She wanted 5-star stays for her 25-person crew. There were just too many demands.”

Earlier this year, it was reported that she left Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, with many claiming that she had demanded an 8-hour workday, a share in the film’s profits, and requested not to deliver her dialogues in Telugu – conditions which allegedly did not sit well with the filmmaker.

The chatter grew stronger when Vanga posted a scathing note seemingly criticising Deepika for ‘ousting’ the script of his next film, Spirit. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday night, he wrote, “When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100% faith. There is an unsaid NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) between us. But by doing this, you’ve ‘DISCLOSED’ the person that you are…. Putting down a Younger actor and ousting my story? Is this what your feminism stands for?”

Meanwhile, Deepika recently announced that she is working with Shah Rukh again in his upcoming film, King, which will also feature Suhana Khan.