On the show, Deepika explained her relationship journey, saying, “I wanted to be single for a while because I had come from difficult relationships.
I was going through a phase where I said, ‘I just don’t want to be attached, don’t want to be committed’. And I had fun! And then he came along, so I didn’t commit until he proposed to me. There was no commitment as such. Even if we were technically allowed to see other people, we would just keep coming back to each other.”
This revelation led to a backlash on social media, with some people referring to their relationship as a “situationship” and others criticizing Deepika. In an interview with Vogue, she addressed the issue, stating, “When I feel really strongly or passionately about something, I don’t think twice about expressing myself. I’ve grown to become this person where I’m not afraid of speaking my truth or owning up to mistakes. I’m not afraid of saying sorry and I’m okay to be the only person in the room who has a different point of view.”
Recently, a video allegedly from Benaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi went viral, further fueling the controversy. The video featured a female student portraying Deepika’s character ‘Mastani,’ surrounded by male students dressed as individuals rumored to be her past boyfriends. This performance was widely criticized as an act of “character assassination.”
One internet user commented, “Memes are okay, but this is the character assassination of Indian actress Deepika Padukone! It just shows the mindset of the cheapest! It’s a shameful act.” Another user echoed similar sentiments, saying, “Character assassination of Deepika wasn’t enough on social media that a renowned university allowed it live! Just so low of them, this is truly the reason why as a society we can’t grow man.”
Some social media users even called for legal action against those responsible for the performance. “This situation unquestionably warrants a defamation lawsuit. Deepika’s legal team should take action. I’m not stating this solely as a fan; subjecting any individual to character assassination in a public setting and on the internet is a form of mental harassment,” one netizen stated.
