Deepika Padukone On Her Bollywood Journey: "Nepotism Existed, It Will Continue To Exist"

Deepika Padukone also opened up about her initial days in an industry where she had no friends or family 

There is no debate on the fact that Deepika Padukone is one of the biggest superstars in the country today. The actress has made her presence felt globally with her acting talent, entrepreneurship successes and luxury brand endorsements over the years. Deepika Padukone who made her acting debut with Aishwarya (Kannada, 2006) and her Bollywood debut with Om Shanti Om (2007) reflected on her dream journey in the world of cinema in an interview with Vogue India. As part of the conversation, the multi-hyphenate spoke about making it big in the film industry despite having no connections and accepting that nepotistic practices are here to stay. Deepika, daughter of legendary badminton player Prakash Padukone and Ujjala Padukone, admitted candidly, “When you were an outsider 15 or 20 years ago, there was no other option. It's an uphill task for any individual trying to make a mark in a field or profession that their parents don't come from. The fact that we've started to articulate things like nepotism is a new trend. It existed then, it exists now and it will continue to exist. That was my reality.”

The interview further quoted her as saying that she is proud of having achieved it all on her own. “Back then, I had so many things to deal with, not just professionally but also personally. I was a teenager moving to a new city with no family or friends in a new industry. I had to figure out my meals (a time before Swiggy or Zomato, mind you) and transport, and lug my own bags around. I never thought of it as a burden back then. I'd finish late at night, exhausted, then carry my suitcase across town in a cab and sometimes fall asleep on the drive back home. My mother would be so worried about whether I would get home safe. Today when I look back at that journey, I think, ‘Not bad, girl! You did this and you did it on your own.' But at that moment, there was no time to reflect,” she said. 

Deepika Padukone also spoke about the impact her experience in sports and modelling has had on her acting career. When asked about  how gruelling modelling is, the actress was quoted as saying, “If sport is one thing that teaches you life lessons, then modelling is another.”