Deepika Padukone: Why does Bollywood's most talented actress have no films in her kitty?

That Deepika Padukone is one of the most talented and sought-after actresses of Bollywood, is no news. But why then has she not signed a single film after Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Padmaavat, that crossed the Rs 500-crore mark worldwide? 

She was supposed to start shooting for Vishal Bhardwaj's gangster drama, 'Sapna Didi' this year, but unfortunately the film had to be postponed owing to her co-star Irrfan Khan's health condition. And now, the actor has absolutely no films in her kitty.

Several theories have been going around about why Deepika has not signed a single film despite the flood of offers that came her way after her last release. While some say she is waiting for her back and neck injury to fully recover, others claim that she is keeping her dates free for her much-talked-about wedding with beau Ranveer Singh. 

But, it turns out that none of this is true. “Her back/neck problem is being properly attended to and she will be fine soon. As for marriage plans, they in no way impinge on her career. The reason Deepika is not signing anything new is because of the quality of roles coming her way. They are all big-banner films with top heroes. But nothing even remotely as author-backed or inspiring as Padmaavat.  At this stage in her career, Deepika is no more content playing the conventional leading lady. It has to be a script that offers her as much to do as the male protagonist,” a source close to the actress told Deccan Chronicle.

This sounds believable because in a recent interview with celebrity film-critic Anupama Chopra, Deepika talked about the dearth of good scripts in Hindi cinema. She expressed the desire to do a light-hearted comedy. But, it's not just about scripts. Apparently, no major production house is willing to offer Deepika the kind of money that she is asking for.

“She has gone on-record to claim she was paid more than the leading man in Padmaavat. Big banners like Yash Raj Films and Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions are not willing to  pay her that kind of  money,” the source added.