Mumbai, Nov 9 (IANS): Actor Vikrant Massey, who shared screen space with Deepika Padukone in Chhapaak earlier this year, says is tough to be a female superstar like her in this country.

"It is hard to be a Deepika Padukone in our country. It is difficult to be a woman with a voice. She is the biggest star and an icon in our country. If she can be subjugated to this, then anyone could. Unfortunately, there is no public discourse today. I stand by what I said," said Vikrant.

Deepika was in the midst of controversy around the release of Chhapaak in the month of January after she visited Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi in a bid to show solidarity with the protest against CAA. Her action infuriated many on social media, and the hashtags BoycottChhapaak and BlockDeepika had started trending back then.

Vikrant recalls working with Deepika and Chhapaak director Meghna Gulzar with fondness.

"I always wanted to work with Meghna Gulzar. I was able to pull that off so early in my career and it is almost like a dream come true. With regards to Deepika, I have fond memories as her co-actor. As I always say, she is one of the most incredible people I have ever met," he said.

Vikram, who was recently seen in the Netflix film Ginny Weds Sunny, also spoke of how he is often compared with actress Radhika Apte, adding that he loves the comparison.

"I am very fond of Radhika Apte. She is a very amazing actor and is exceptionally hard working. She has ruled the OTT space and is now going to Hollywood. I would love to follow that path and reach where she is," said Vikrant.