Deepika Padukone's 2020 film Chhapaak. directed by Meghna Gulzar, was based on the life of acid attack survivor and campaigner for rights of acid attack victims, Laxmi Agarwal. Speaking on the same, Meghna Gulzar admitted that actress Deepika Padukone’s controversial visit to JNU just three days before the film’s theatrical release badly impacted the fate of their movie.

 

 

 

 

During the Express Adda on Monday, Meghna Gulzar said, "I am sure that the answer is pretty obvious. Yes, of course, it made a dent in the film. Because the conversation went from acid violence, which I intended the film to amplify, to somewhere else. So, of course, it impacted the film. There is no denying that".

 

Notably, Deepika Padukone participated in a protest held at Jawaharlal Nehru University on January 7, 2020, three days before the release of Chhapaak, in response to the 2020 JNU attack and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. It had sparked a social media uproar. The hashtags #BoycottChhapaak and #BlockDeepika trended on Twitter.

 

As a co-producer alongside Fox Star Studios, Govind Singh Sandhu, and Meghna Gulzar, Deepika Padukone marked her debut in production with Chhapaak. Despite being made on a budget of Rs 50 crore, the film only grossed Rs 55.44 crore at the box office.

 

At that time, there were series of attacks by left-wing students on the right-wing groups including ABVP students within the campus. Moreover, the left-wing groups had been calling for a boycott of class and protesting against fee hikes.