Ahead of the release of her film Chhapaak in 2020, actress Deepika Padukone visited Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), during the students' protests, showing her solidarity with them who were attacked by a mob. Her visit sparked controversy, with slogans on social media and streets about ‘boycotting’ Deepika and her film.
Now, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has opened up about Deepika Padukone's JNU visit. He said that the actress didn’t understand the politics of JNU during her protest visit.
In an interview with Subhankar Mishra on his YouTube channel, Vivek Agnihotri said, "I can guarantee ki Deepika ko pata bhi nahi hoga ki kyu kya waha ki politics kya hain."
Vivek also said that he doesn't know about Deepika Padukone's ideologies but he knows that she is a very smart and intelligent woman. The director also said that had Deepika known that her visit might impact her career, she would not have gone there.
The Kashmir Files director also said, "You play with fire, you get burned."
"Had she known that this is a politically sensitive place and that it might impact her career, she would’ve definitely not gone," he added.
On the work front, Deepika was last seen in Kalki 2898 AD. She has recently boarded Atlee's upcoming film with Allu Arjun, which marks her first collaboration with the Pushpa star.
While Vivek Agnihotri's next is The Bengal Files: Right to Life, which was earlier titled, The Delhi Files: The Bengal Chapter. It is releasing on September 5, 2025.
The film is written by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Abhishek Agarwal and Pallavi Joshi. It stars Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Anupam Kher, and Darshan Kumar.
