Deepika Padukone's thoughts on Chhapaak's success

 Deepika Padukone recently wore her heart on her sleeve regarding the success of Chhapaak, and what would make it a personal success for her.

She revealed that she cares more about setting a lasting change, than high box office records, she wishes for the movie to change the life of an acid attack survivor, in terms of legislation or financial changes. If those changes were to manifest, the star feels she reached her own personal version of success.

During an interview with Pinkvilla, when asked about box office expectations regarding the film, Deepika replied by saying, “As far as the success of this movie is concerned, for me, the true success will be when we see change in society and the way society has viewed acid attack survivors, in the way that we treat them in society. The changes we will hopefully see...legislation and financially how we impact their lives..hopefully, if we are able to see changes in these ways, I would consider this a truly successful film.”

She also went onto say, “This is the first time I am playing a real-life, living character. Whether it is Mastaani or Padmavati, they are historic, almost surreal in a way, if you may say. A role like Laxmi’s....I would say, in that sense, it is the first time I am playing a real-life character. Someone who can actually validate or negate my work. So it comes with an added sense of responsibility.”

She asserted how hard it is to play a living character, and what kind of pressure is placed on an individual, when in this situation, she was quoted saying, “Not only are you trying to satiate the expectations of an audience but also the person, whose life you are portraying. Honestly, more than the audience, the person’s validation, whose character your playing, is more important. For me, when Laxmi walked on the sets for the first time we were filming in Delhi... On the first day, her validation, she looked at me and said, ‘I am looking at myself in the mirror.’ For me there is no bigger validation.”

Regarding the label of a superstar, which Deepika has been associated with, during her career, she revealed, “I don’t wake up every morning thinking I’m some superstar. That’s the audience’s perception of me, and that perception is based on the work that I do. So, my only endeavour when I wake up every morning is to continue doing such work. I wouldn’t be having these titles and labels such as that of a ‘superstar’ if I didn’t have the work that allows people to think this way about me, to feel this way about my body of work. Honestly, it’s not something I pay to much attention to."

"Having said that, I would be lying if I said that it doesn’t feel nice. It most certainly is very gratifying and humbling, but at the same time, I don’t wake up thinking, ‘Oh, people think I’m a superstar.’ I mean, I don’t know if people do that, but that’s just not me. I think, where I am in life today is to do work that can positively impact other lives.”