BENGALURU: As questions are being raised around Deepika Padukone’s alleged involvement in the drugs case, her city friends point out that her stand on burning issues, CAA-NRC and mental health, shouldn’t be discounted
A successful actor, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate. The image of Bengaluru girl Deepika Padukone, who has been linked with the ongoing narcotics issues, has taken a beating overnight. But those known to the actress from Bengaluru, who have seen her over time, have come out in support of Padukone.
Condemning the way the actress is being treated, fashion guru Prasad Bidapa, who played an important role in launching her as a model says the extreme mental trauma she is being put through is unwarranted and unjustified.
“To demonise her on this matter of drug addiction is wrong and misguided. She is a young Indian woman from an impeccable background and I strongly oppose this labelling of her as some kind of drug addict on the basis of a couple of old messages found on her phone,” says Bidapa, hoping that there is justice for Padukone.
Bidapa tries to remind people of what she has done to normalise mental health issues. “Deepika is a well respected actor in our film industry who has worked hard to attain her position as the highest paid actress in it. She has achieved this on her own, with no film family or godfather to help her on this difficult path. She has done much for the issues of mental health by sharing her own experiences and helped to remove the stigma from these often dismissed matters,” adds Bidapa.
Model Sangeetha Ramesh, who has admires Padukone’s courage and stands, says it’s unfair to discard someone after all the hardwork for something that is still not confirmed. “How can people just start trolling her, whether it’s in the narcotics issue or her supporting the Jawaharlal Nehru University vigil,” says Ramesh. Echoing similar sentiments, Sounak Sen Barat, founder of label House of Three, says this guilt shaming mentality is a side effect of social media.
“Just because things are virtual, people take the liberty to pass judgements and troll, forgetting that these are global faces of our country. If the same people meet Deepika in person, they would be cordial and kind,” says Barat, adding that it’s definitely not in a good taste to minus years of hardwork. “Calling her journey easy is like insulting the work that has gone behind it. Moreover, if getting her level of success was that easy, then everyone would be the there already,” says Barat, adding, “Having first met her when she was 18 years old, I remember her never hesitating to call a spade a spade, and was careful with what she associated with.”
Padukone’s dedication has always stood out among her friends who believe she was very focussed. Her classmate from Sophia High School, Sneha Kapoor, a choreographer in Bollywood, says, “Growing up, we gave our parents a tough time, but I remember Deepika being focused on what she wanted to achieve in life.”