'All Shah Rukh Khan and I know is commitment, humility': Deepika Padukone on 'Pathaan' controversy

Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan was subject to many controversies before its release. It was met with boycott calls on Twitter after right-wing extremists were irked over the film’s lead actress Deepika Padukone wearing an orange bikini in the song Besharam Rang. Talking about facing criticism, Deepika, in the latest interview, said that both she and Shah Rukh have been athletes and thus exhibited composure and restraint in the face of such adversities.

In an interview with India Today, the actor said, “I can say this for both of us we don’t know any other way of being. I think that’s just who we are as people and the way we have been brought up by our respective families. We came here [to Mumbai] alone with just dreams and aspirations. All we know is commitment, hard work and humility, which have gotten us where we are. Some of it (handling adversity) comes with experience and maturity. We both have been athletes. I do know that he played sports in school and college. Sport teaches you a lot about restraint.”

Dedicating the film’s success to the entire cast and crew, Deepika praised Shah Rukh’s generosity as a co-star and said, “He understands what is important for a film and that for a film to work, everyone needs to succeed. Nobody understands and executes it better than him.”

Despite the criticisms and the online flak, Pathaan has crossed Rs 500 crore in the Indian market and is now inching towards breaking the lifetime business of Baahubali 2 in Hindi. Internationally, the film has entered the Rs 1,000-crore club.

(This story originally appeared in Cinema Express)