Deepika Padukone has become one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, but her stay in Tollywood was indeed short-lived. She could not match Genelia D’Souza, who is loved by the audience and has created a niche for herself in Telugu cinema. Keeping this in mind, here are seven reasons why. 7 Reasons Why Deepika Padukone Couldn’t Survive in Tollywood Like Genelia.
1. Minimal Exposure
Deepika’s phase in Tollywood has been brief, consisting only of a special appearance in the Telugu-dubbed promo of Om Shanti Om and some other offers which she preferred not to chase after. In contrast, Genelia has been at par with the number of projects, building up quite a fan base.
2. Language Barrier
While Genelia has learned her lessons to embrace Telugu words, Deepika never even tried to bridge the gap of the languages. This hardly appealed to her local fans for a bridging sense of understanding.
3. Timing of Opportunities
When Deepika entered the film industry, she got absorbed into Bollywood mainstream. But Genelia’s timing was just right, as she ended up starring in fresh, youthful entertainers like Bommarillu that made her appeal relatable to youngsters.
4. Choice of Roles
There were those bubbly girl-next-door kind of roles that Genelia mostly did and appealed to the Telugu audiences the most. Deepika, known for her glam and heavy roles, never tried exploring such spaces in Tollywood to have her versatility limited.
5. Lack Commitment for South Films
While Genelia committed most of his early years to the Tollywood industry before switching, Deepika started with Bollywood and international films, and there was never room for sustained growth in the Telugu industry.
6. Cultural Connect
Genelia adopted the local culture; he talked to his fans and interacted with the press from the South very often. On the other hand, Deepika hardly showed up at the Tollywood events to build that rapport with the region.
Also Read: Films Deepika Padukone Refused That Became Hits
7. Bollywood Stardom Beckoned
With Deepika’s booming career in Bollywood, Tollywood was just a second priority, with box-office success coming her way in back-to-back Hindi movies, with no cause to look back, unlike Genelia, who has heavily relied on Telugu cinema to achieve her career goals.