Vivek Agnihotri Shares His Take on Deepika Padukone’s Controversial JNU Visit in 2020
Director Vivek Agnihotri has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Deepika Padukone’s appearance at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) during the student protests in 2020. The actor visited the campus just days before the release of her film Chhapaak, which triggered a major backlash and calls for boycotts.
Speaking to Subhankar Mishra on his YouTube channel, Agnihotri claimed that Deepika was likely unaware of the political gravity of the moment, suggesting that her visit was orchestrated by her PR team as a promotional strategy for the film.
“Unko pata bhi nahi tha ki kaha jaa rahi hain. I can guarantee ki Deepika ko pata bhi nahi hoga ki waha ki politics kya hain… PR walon ne bola hoga ki yeh ek opportunity hai film ko promote karne ki… chali aayi hongi isliye!”
(“She didn’t even know where she was going. I can guarantee Deepika didn’t know the political situation there. Her PR team must have told her this was a good opportunity to promote the film, so she went.”)
Agnihotri clarified that his comments were not meant to call the actor unintelligent but reflected how film stars often follow directions during promotions without full context. He said that while Deepika is “a very smart and intelligent woman,” she likely wouldn’t have gone to JNU had she known how politically sensitive the situation was.
“You play with fire, you get burned. I don’t know her personally, so I can’t speak to her ideology. But if she had understood the political implications, I don’t think she would have gone.”
He further criticized her PR team for misreading the situation, assuming it was a routine event rather than a politically charged protest.
Deepika in the News
Deepika Padukone was last seen in the science fiction film Kalki 2898 AD. Recently, she made headlines for opting out of director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit due to creative differences, including the refusal to adhere to an 8-hour workday request.
Agnihotri’s Next Release
Meanwhile, Vivek Agnihotri is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film, The Bengal Files, slated to release on September 5. The film will explore a lesser-known chapter of Indian history, following his previous works like The Kashmir Files, which also stirred debate and discussion.
Agnihotri’s comments have once again reignited debate around celebrity activism and the intersection of politics and film promotions, raising questions about how much stars truly know about the causes they associate with—and the consequences that follow.