‘₹600-crore films don’t excite me anymore’: Deepika Padukone on big budget films after Spirit, Kalki exit

Two decades after she first walked down a runway, Deepika Padukone says she’s entering a phase of work that looks very different from the one she started with—quieter, more thoughtful, and anchored in what actually matters to her now.

Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar India, she said big-budget films no longer excite her and that storytelling drives her today. “Honestly, how much more fame, how much more success, how much more money? At this stage, it’s not about that anymore. It’s not about the ₹100-crore films, or even the ₹500–₹600 crore ones.”

Padukone says creativity—not scale—is what keeps her going. She is drawn to interesting ideas, strong writing, and people who want to build something meaningful. “What excites me is the ability to enable storytelling and give technicians and creators a platform,” she says. That’s the space she wants to invest in now.

This shift, she adds, has also shaped how her team works. Instead of chasing record-breaking numbers, they are focusing on developing talent and backing stories that feel worth telling. “That’s what feels powerful,” she says.

Looking back, she describes her early years in modelling and films as “a blur”—a phase where everything moved too fast for her to process. She says she received film offers within two years of entering fashion but waited until she felt ready. “When Om Shanti Om came along, the timing made sense,” she says.

Her idea of success has changed sharply since then. “When you’re young, success looks like fame and wealth,” she says. “Today, it’s about physical and emotional well-being. It’s about how I spend my time and who I spend it with.”

Authenticity, she adds, has become her only firm rule. She has turned down projects that didn’t feel right, even when they came with huge paycheques. “If it doesn’t feel true to me, I don’t do it,” she says.

Her comments come after she was removed from Sandeep Reddy Vanga-directorial Spirit, featuring Prabhas in the lead role, after she demanded an 8-hour work shift as a new mother. Following this, the film now features Triptii Dimri as the lead actress. In September this year, the makers of the sequel of Kalki 2898 AD also announced that Padukone would not be a part of the film.  

The production house Vyajayanthi Movies announced the decision to "part ways", citing an "inability to find a partnership" and a need for a higher level of commitment for the project. Her exit was reportedly a result of a dispute over work conditions and remuneration. Padukone's demands included fixed 8-hour workdays, 25 per cent increase in her fee for the sequel compared to the first film, along with requests for a 5-star accommodation and full food reimbursement for her 25-member entourage.