Reddit finds out Deepika Padukone's parents are cousins—uproar ensues
What's the story
A recent Reddit post has sparked widespread discussion by revealing that Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone's parents, Prakash and Ujjala Padukone, are second cousins. While previously confirmed by Prakash in an interview, this information has come as a surprise to many. The revelation led to a broader conversation about consanguineous marriages (marriage between relatives descended from a common ancestor) in South Indian culture. Here's how netizens reacted.
Cultural context
Netizens discussed consanguineous marriages in South India
The revelation of the Padukones's familial ties sparked a debate among netizens about the prevalence of consanguineous marriages in South Indian culture. One user wrote, "I have known this since many years. It surprised me a little when I found out, but not a lot, as I was aware of consanguineous marriages among communities in South India." Another user added such practices were common among Muslims and Jews, too.
Personal journey
Prakash's career and marriage to Ujjala
In an interview, Prakash spoke about his marriage in the backdrop of his badminton career. He said, "I remember I played the national championship which I lost. Despite being the world's no 1, I had lost the national championship for the first time after nine years." "I got married to my second cousin Ujjala soon after and we moved to Copenhagen as I found a job there and lived there till 1986 when Deepika was born. I retired in 1989."
Details
More about the Padukone family
While Padukone was born in January 1986, Prakash and Ujjala have another daughter, Anisha. Born in February 1991, Anisha is a professional golf player. The family shares a close bond. In fact, when Padukone revealed the name of her newborn daughter to be Dua earlier this month, many speculated that it was the combination of the initials of her name (Deepika), her mother's name (Ujjala), and her sister's (Anisha).