Deepika Padukone has recently been dropped from two projects. Last month, Vyjayanthi Movies officially confirmed that Deepika would no longer be part of Kalki 2898 AD's sequel, citing the film's demand for a "higher level of commitment." Before that, her exit from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit was linked to her reported request for an eight-hour shift.
Fans were quick to notice the pattern, and conversations around working conditions and actor boundaries resurfaced. Amid this, director Shoojit Sircar, who worked with Deepika in Piku, came forward in her defence.
Speaking to DNA at FICCI Frames 2025, where he attended a session with Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Ram Madhvani, and Rahul Mitra on Bollywood's narrative shifts with OTT and AI, Shoojit had a straightforward take on the situation.
“I respect every individual's subjective decisions for what they do. I respect what...I don't know what the whole story is all about,” he said.
The filmmaker did not stop there.
On the idea of actors setting boundaries, Shoojit was clear, “That's fine, we should be respecting an individual's boundaries. So, uski poori respect karni chaiye. Main karta hoon. [That person's boundaries should be fully respected. I do that.]”
On Deepika Padukone's professionalism, Shoojit Sircar had nothing but praise. He said, “Brilliant, she's just brilliant as a professional actor. She's brilliant.”
This comes at a time when Deepika Padukone is balancing motherhood and work. She welcomed her first child, daughter Dua, with husband Ranveer Singh in September 2024. Deepika and Ranveer got married in November 2018.
Deepika Padukone was last seen in Singham Again. The Rohit Shetty directorial also featured Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Arjun Kapoor and Jackie Shroff.
Up next, the actress will be seen in King with Shah Rukh Khan. Deepika will also be a part of Atlee's AA22 X A6. The movie stars Allu Arjun as the male lead.