Deepika Padukone says Rs 500-Rs 600 crore films 'don’t excite' her, months after advocating 8-hour shifts
Deepika Padukone has said that Rs 500–Rs 600 crore films no longer 'excite' her, noting that massive budgets aren’t what drive her choices anymore. Her statement comes months after she publicly advocated for 8-hour work shifts in the film industry to improve work-life balance.
Deepika Padukone, since the past few months, has been making headlines for her bold statements on the functioning of the film industry. A few months back, the actor endorsed an 8-hour shift for actors.
Now, Deepika had made yet another bold statement. She said that Rs 500 - Rs 600 crore films 'don't excite' her anymore.
Deepika Padukone talks about Rs 500 - Rs 600 crore films
Deepika Padukone made her Bollywood debut with Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om in 2007. Now that she has spent close to 18 years in the film industry, she reveals she is now over the excitement of box office numbers. She told Harper's Bazaar, "At this stage in my life, what excites me is the ability to enable storytelling. To give technicians and creators a platform. That’s what feels powerful—that I can make something happen. If I have an idea, I can find writers or collaborate with someone new and bring it to life."
She continued, “At this stage in my life, what excites me is the ability to enable storytelling. To give technicians and creators a platform. That’s what feels powerful—that I can make something happen. That’s how Piku happened. Shoojit Sircar wanted to meet, and 10 minutes into the conversation, I knew this was a story we had to tell. Because honestly, how much more fame, how much more success, how much more money? At this stage, it’s not about that anymore. It’s not about the Rs 100-crore films, or even the Rs 500-Rs 600 crore ones."
"And that doesn’t excite me anymore. What excites me is empowering other talent. My team and I are now focused on that—enabling storytelling and supporting other creative minds, writers, directors, and even new producers. That’s what feels meaningful to me now," she further said.
What did Deepika Padukone say about 8-hour shifts?
In the same interview, Deepika defended her 8-hour shift statement and said that overworking leads to burnout. She said that overworking is often mistaken for commitment. "Bringing a burnt-out person back into the system helps no one," she added. She also endorsed normalising bringing children to work.
On the work front, Deepika Padukone will be seen in Atlee and Allu Arjun's next and King with Shah Rukh Khan.
Also read: 'Never afraid to ruffle feathers': Deepika Padukone tops IMDb report amid Kalki 2 controversy