Top controversies of Deepika Padukone amid her exit from Kalki 2

JNU Visit and Chhapaak
Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone made a surprise visit to Jawaharlal Nehru (JNU) campus in Delhi just before the release of her film Chhapaak which was based on the life of an acid survivor. Deepika silently supported students protesting against a recent violent assault on campus. Though the actress received a lot of praise for her bravery, but the political organizations criticized the move, and it made a social media trend called "Boycott Chhapaak."

Padmaavat Controversy
Several organizations, and mainly the Rajput Karni Sena, were strictly against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat, suggesting that the film misrepresented facts and insulted Queen Padmavati. Deepika Padukone and Bhansali even got death threats as result of the controversy. Her midriff being visible in the song "Ghoomar" caused a lot of controversy and was digitally changed in order to calm protesters.

'My Choice' Video
For Vogue Empower, a campaign that stands for women's empowerment, Deepika starred in the short film "My Choice." Deepika read a poem about a woman's right to make her own decisions in the video, which caused a lot of controversy. One line in particular, "to have sex outside marriage," faced harsh criticism for allegedly encouraging adultery. The controversy continued even after Deepika clarified that the line was taken out of context and that she did not personally support adultery.

Pathaan 'Bikini' Controversy
When Deepika Padukone showed up in a saffron bikini in the music video for the song "Besharam Rang" from the movie Pathaan, it caused a huge uproar. A number of religious and political organizations protested, stating that the "vulgar" song's use of saffron, a color admired in Hinduism, was offensive to their feelings. Protests all over India broke out, demanding the removal of the scene and a boycott of the movie.

Levi's Plagiarism Accusation
Sooni Taraporevala a renowned filmmaker claimed that Deepika's Levi's advertisement was copied. The ad's setting, according to the filmmaker was an exact copy of the set from her 2020 movie Yeh Ballet. The ad's production designer even admitted that the campaign's director had requested that the set be copied in a comparable way. This started a serious conversation about ethical standards in the Indian advertising sector and intellectual property rights.

Comments on Depression
Revealing her struggle with clinical depression in 2015, Deepika has been a vocal advocate of mental health awareness. But some criticism of her choice to discuss her experience on a TV program. The actress strongly rejected the allegations of exploiting a serious illness for publicity made by some critics, claiming that her goal was to minimize mental health issues in India.

Gehraiyaan and Infidelity Debate
Gehraiyaan which showed cheating and complicated modern relationships, sparked public discussion. Deepika's portrayal of a bold character who was involved in an extramarital affair in the movie attracted criticism for actually normalizing cheating while also receiving praise for its complex perspective. Actress Mallika Sherawat also expressed her opinion, stating that although she had received criticism for similar roles in movies like Murder years ago, the audience and industry had since changed their attitudes.

Siddharth Mallya Relationship and Post-Breakup Comments
Deepika's statements in an interview caused controversy following her widely reported separation from Siddharth Mallya. She said it was "embarrassing" that Mallya had asked her to pay the bill at their most recent dinner. In retaliation, Mallya supposedly referred to her as a "crazy female" and pointed out the costly gifts and vacations he gave her while they were dating.