Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has penned a personal note to actress Deepika Padukone after his recent comments about her “good girl image” sparked a social‑media backlash. In an interview clip that went viral, Ali had spoken about how Deepika was initially approached for the more conservative Meera in Cocktail (2012), before he cast her as the bold, free‑spirited Veronica, a role that became a career‑defining performance. He added that Veronica was very different from the “good girl” image she projected at the time, and described that side of her public persona as a “facade” while hinting that he had seen a wilder, more uninhibited Deepika at parties and gatherings.
The remarks quickly drew criticism online, with many feeling they trivialized her carefully built image or overstepped personal boundaries. In response, Imtiaz took to his Instagram Stories and addressed Deepika directly, calling her his “pal, buddy” and “safe option for humour” and stressing that he would never be mean to her “in this lifetime.” He said he decided to write the note only because he was told she might misunderstand or feel hurt, adding that he never thought he would have to send such a disclaimer to someone whose work and personality he deeply admires.
By framing his words as an affectionate, slightly playful anecdote rather than a calculated critique, Ali is trying to recontextualise the conversation away from scandal and back to the creative thrill of casting someone against conventional expectations. For fans, the episode has reignited interest in Cocktail itself, as well as in the way public images and private personas are often treated as separate scripts in the Bollywood narrative.