Deepika Padukone – A star in India but a non-entity in the West : Bollywood News

We have to hand it to the Daily Mirror in the UK for presence of mind. They spotted a tall pretty girl with tennis champ Novak Djokovic and declared her his 'female companion'.

Not that the damage is reduced with Deepika's newly-found anonymity in the company of a tennis player whom a lot of us (me included) don't really know by face.

Our Bollywood stars, known to be aloof, vain and distanced from the bustle, shed their inhibitions the minute they step into the firangi territory. So we have Priyanka Chopra happy playing a Baywatch girl, and Deepika who is currently the reigning empress of Bollywood heads westward to roll with Vin Diesel.

The snub served up to Deepika by the 'Mirror' image very clearly states that Indian cinema and its superstars mean zilch to the Western media.

The timing of the snub seems is especially wrong. Deepika's image as the XXX girl is splashed everywhere in the global press. It is unlikely that Daily Mirror didn't recognize her. It's more likely that they chose not to acknowledge Deepika for who she is. And what they think of her.

A star back home, and a non-entity in the West.

How much more of this humiliation must we take just to be visible in the Western world? Even if Priyanka or Deepika get that random role in a big-budget Hollywood spectacle, it's done in the spirit of condescension.

Do us a favour, Deepika - Be our Mastani, not a 'female companion' to a Wimbledon Bajirao.