Deepika Padukone’s exit from Spirit isn’t unprofessional. Her boundaries come first

File photo of Deepika Padukone | ANI

When a man demands more money for a project, he’s seen as ambitious, business savvy, and someone who knows their worth. But when a woman does the same, she’s labelled ‘difficult’ and ‘full of herself’? Case in point—Deepika Padukone.

The actor was dropped from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s upcoming film Spirit. Social media was up in arms, calling her unprofessional for the demands that led to her exit.

But one look at them—an eight-hour workday, Rs 20 crore paycheck, a cut of the profits, and a request for her lines to be dubbed—and any reasonable person will see an actor with almost 20 years of experience demanding her due.

It’s clear that women having boundaries is still considered a foreign concept. How dare she decide what her time and talent are worth?

Just for the sake of comparison, Spirit’s protagonist Prabhas reportedly charges anywhere between Rs 100 to 200 crore per film.

Directors have been known to go above and beyond to meet the conditions of top male actors, yet hesitate to show the same courtesy to a female lead.

But I wasn’t surprised at Vanga’s rejection of her demands. He has cemented his image as a misogynist.

Impossible standards 

What baffles me is that society acts like its collective ego will shatter the moment it accommodates a woman’s demands. And no, there is no ‘victim card’ at play here.

We all know that if Padukone had agreed to work longer hours, which would keep her away from her daughter, the same people criticising her unprofessionalism would’ve rushed to label her a ‘bad mother.’

Women have always been held up to impossible standards, and thanks to social media, they’re all the more visible now.

The word ‘boundaries’ makes people uncomfortable—especially when it’s a woman setting them. Women are taught to be agreeable, accommodating, and polite. And it’s not just in Bollywood. It’s in boardrooms, classrooms, startups, and hospital corridors.

It’s when women apologise before asking a question. It’s when a mother is expected to work like she doesn’t have kids, and parent like she doesn’t have a job.

You’re not too much

If Padukone gets scrutinised for being ‘too much’ despite being one of the most bankable stars in the country, what message are we sending to the average working woman who just wants equal pay or maternity leave?

And to all the men who think she is being “unprofessional” and “difficult” because of her demands—Do you say the same to the women around you who ask to be treated with the respect they deserve?

This isn’t just celebrity gossip. It’s about a society that still thinks a woman’s value increases when she sacrifices herself and decreases when she asserts herself.

And to the women reading this: Don’t let the noise get to you. Set your boundaries. Ask for that raise. Walk out of the room that doesn’t value you. You’re not being “too much”.

Views are personal.

(Edited by Theres Sudeep)