Sandeep Reddy Vanga vs Deepika Padukone: A Feminism Debate That Misses the Point

Deepika has said nothing on the matter publicly. If there's truth to Vanga’s claims, undermining another female actor would be disappointing. That said, Vanga positioning himself as a champion of feminism is ironic on multiple levels.

X users rose to defend his stance, in an aggressive, misogynist takedown of all feminists. On the other hand, Deepika’s fans defended her, while saying she “dodged a bullet”.

Read: The Rebel Kid and the Irony of Outrage: When Morality Masks Misogyny

What the discourse misses is a deeper understanding of what feminism truly means, why a woman negotiating for higher pay sparks controversy, and how Vanga’s own films suggest he may not be the most credible voice to rally for feminism.

A War on X, That Misses The Point

Sandeep Vanga's post said, "When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100% faith. There is an unsaid NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) between us. But by doing this, you've 'DISCLOSED' the person that you are....Putting down a Younger actor and ousting my story? Is this what your feminism stands for ? As a filmmaker, I put years of hard work behind my craft & for me, filmmaking is everything. You didn't get it. You won't get it. You will never get it."

It soon went viral, prompting a range of reactions.

“You know why Sandeep Reddy Vanga is a nightmare for fake feminists and why they don’t like him or his movies? Because he knows how to give them belt treatment, and most importantly, he does it without any filter.”

Posts like the above defended Vanga’s stance.

On the other hand, some of Deepika’s fans said that his ego was hurt, and thus, he resorted to blaming feminism. They highlighted that he ended his post saying he doesn’t care, but if he didn’t, why would he put out such a long note?

In the ensuing blame game, the word “feminism” was casually thrown around, sometimes attacked and sometimes used for defence. What the discourse doesn’t seem to highlight is what feminism stands for, and it feels like a missed opportunity. The discourse barely includes the nuances of the subject, including but not limited to why the word is so easily vilified, or what it means when a woman simply advocates for higher pay and working conditions that suit her.

Why Women Asking for What They Want Gets Them Labelled ‘Difficult’

Deepika’s departure from the film has been widely talked about, with some reports saying she wanted to limit her work hours to six per day and requested additional compensation if the shoot exceeded 100 days, as per the agreement. These were conditions that the makers weren’t on board with.

A new mother, Deepika, demanding work hours that suit her, shouldn’t be very surprising. Her demanding compensation as per what she deserves, as one of the leading actresses, shouldn’t have become such a conversation-starter.

Actors like Sonam Kapoor and Swara Bhasker have spoken out in the past about an existing pay disparity in Bollywood. Yet, an actor drawing her boundaries or demanding what she thinks she deserves sparks far more debate than any male counterpart doing the same.

Vanga’s films, on the other hand, have on numerous occasions shown what feminism doesn’t stand for.

Alpha men, who slap, choke and cheat on women, are glorified in his films. Violence in romantic love is normalised, and women are reduced to sidekicks, more often than not. For Vanga to position himself as a voice for feminism is, quite simply, the height of irony.