Deepika Padukone, who recently left big films like Spirit and Kalki 2898 AD Part 2, has talked about the ongoing discussions about her career choices and the pressure that women in the film industry face. The actress came out as she achieved a big milestone that was covered in IMDb’s new report on Indian cinema.
IMDb Report Shows Deepika’s Impact
IMDb published a special report, 25 Years of Indian Cinema (2000–2025), on Tuesday. It looked at the five most popular Indian movies that came out each year from January 2000 to August 2025. Deepika starred in 10 of the 130 films, making her one of the most important stars of the time.
With 20 movies, Shah Rukh Khan was at the top of the list.
After that, Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan each had 11.
Deepika was higher on the list than famous people like Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Alia Bhatt.
Deepika on Breaking the Rules
Deepika told IMDb about her journey:
“When I first started out, a lot of people told me how a woman should or is expected to handle her career in order to be successful.” But I was never hesitant to ask questions, shake things up, take the harder path, and question the way things are done in order to change the mold we are all supposed to fit into.
She also said that her support system gave her the strength to make brave career choices:
“The faith my family, fans, and coworkers have had in me has also given me the strength to make the choices and decisions I have, which I hope will change the course of those who come after me.” The IMDb Report on 25 Years of Indian Cinema backs up and confirms my opinion that honesty, authenticity, and resilience are important, and that change is achievable if you stay loyal to your basic beliefs.
Debate Erupts Over Career Exits
Deepika’s declaration comes after she left two movies that a lot of people were looking forward to.
Vyjayanthi Movies confirmed her departure from Kalki 2898 AD, saying that the film needed a “higher level of commitment.”
Spirit: Reports said that she left because she wanted an eight-hour workweek, which led to talks about work-life balance in the film industry.
What’s Deepika’s next move?
Even when there are arguments, Deepika keeps taking on big tasks. She recently said that she would be working with Shah Rukh Khan again in the movie King.
In addition, she has been named the most popular Indian star on IMDb over the past ten years, beating out Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, and Shah Rukh Khan.