Deepika Padukone prioritizes authenticity, rejecting offers misaligned with her values. She defines success as physical and emotional well-being and focuses on empowering meaningful narratives, standing by projects she believes in despite lucrative offers.
Actress Deepika Padukone has been building her career for over two decades now and has achieved massive success as an actor and an entrepreneur, pivoting on authenticity. In a recent chat with Harper's Bazaar, Deepika opened up about how the meaning of success has changed for her over the years and how she stands for representing narratives that matter.
Deepika Padukone said, "When you're young, success is always about fame and wealth. You see people living a certain lifestyle and think that's what success looks like. As you grow older, that definition shifts. For me today, success is physical and emotional well-being. Time is our greatest currency -- how I spend it, who I spend it with, and having the freedom to decide that. That, for me, is success."
The actress mentioned, "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. Every few days, someone wants to meet or narrate an idea, and I'm open to everyone because you never know where it might lead."
"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 ₹100-crore films, or even the ₹500-₹600 crore ones," Deepika Padukone explained.
Deepika also said, "The only non-negotiable is authenticity. Anything that doesn't feel true to me doesn't cut. Sometimes people offer a lot of money and think that's enough, but it isn't. And the reverse is also true -- some things may not be commercially big, but I believe in the people or the message, and I'll stand by it. Was I always this clear? Maybe not. But I've reached that clarity now. Do I sometimes look back and think, 'What was I thinking?' Of course. That's part of learning. Maybe 10 years from now, I'll question some of today's choices. But right now, they feel honest."
Meanwhile, on the work front, Deepika Padukone is now shooting King with Shah Rukh Khan and Suhana Khan. She is also working with Allu Arjun in an Atlee directorial.