Actor Deepika Padukone is at the centre of a social media storm after she was slammed for a TikTok video, where she challenges an influencer to recreate her acid attack survivor ‘look’ from her latest film “Chhapaak”.
The TikTok challenge thrown by the 34-year-old actor was called “insensitive”, “crass” and the “worst kind of a promotion”.
In a 39-second video that went viral on social media on Saturday, Deepika is seen asking make-up artiste Faby to recreate her “three favourite looks” from her films.
Faby recreates the actor’s looks from her 2007 debut “Om Shanti Om” and 2015’s “Piku”. However, her attempt at recreating the actor’s ‘look’ from “Chhapaak”, in which Deepika plays Malti, an acid attack survivor, was criticised on social media.
Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film is based on the life of acid attack survivor-activist Laxmi Agarwal and released on January 10.
Many called out the actor for trivialising the trauma of an acid attack survivor by categorising the part as a mere ‘look’ and even questioned her intention behind taking up the part.
“I’m appalled at Deepika Padukone’s Tiktok challenge on the ‘Chhapaak’ acid survivor ‘look’. It is like making a movie on the Holocaust and tattooing numbers on your hand as promotion,” a user wrote on Twitter.
Another said, “This is really disrespectful to acid attack victims, @deepikapadukone. How disgustingly low are you going to stoop to promote yourself?”
A tweeple branded the video “gross”.
“And just when we thought that @deepikapadukone couldn’t mock Lakshmi anymore through her PR stunts in JNU she comes up with tick tok challenge on acid attack victims. Gross,” another wrote on the microblogging site.
“So ‘Acid Attacked Face’ has now become challenge now. This is the worst kind of a promotion by @deepikapadukone. Shame on you.”
Another user said that the actor, who has been vocal about mental health issues, should have been more careful.
“Deepika’s Tiktok video is crass and insensitive. She is a victim of mental illness, expected better from her. I will never be able to admire and respect her again,” the person said.
“I’d kept silent about ‘motives’ when Deepika showed up to JNU because it did help give the cause some publicity but the TikTok video shows what Bollywood stars really are. There is no moral compass or political ideology. They wait and respond to things in a very calculate way,” a user wrote.
One person posted, “The problem with Deepika Padukone endorsing a makeup challenge on Chhapak is that she treated it as one of her ‘looks’ and dismissed the entire trauma behind it. She proved that it was merely makeup for her & she clearly doesn’t understand the depth of what survivors go through. (sic)”
Another person said the video was a “big mistake” on the actor’s part.
“Supporting students was a mistake or not, I don’t know… but this TikTok video is a big mistake on Deepika’s part. #Chaapak isn’t just about a look of Malti…” read the post.
A user said, “So much I want to say about #Chapaak First off that atrocious video ‘3 looks of Deepika’s from 3 of her movies. ‘Acid attack victim’ is not ‘a look’.”
“Anytime you’re feeling bad about any dumb thing you did, just remember that Deepika Padukone created the ‘acid burnt face’ as a ‘look’ on TikTok to push her movie. It’ll make you feel better,” read a post.
Another Twitter user said, “OMG! I have no words, so end of the day it was all just a makeup for her. Disgusting and sad… beauty without brains. Can’t help. These celebrities will never understand. Fake people.”
However, not everyone was critical of Deepika and a user said the actor is trying to make acid attack survivors a part of the society.
“Deepika helping to normalise acid scars with Malti’s look being recreated. Social inclusion for acid attack survivors is important and the TikTok videos are a great way,” the user wrote.
