As Deepika Padukone stepped into her 40s on December 5 the actor chose to celebrate the milestone with the people who matter most to her — her fans. Ahead of her birthday Deepika hosted a warm and lively fan meet where candid conversations laughter and big cheers filled the room. One moment from the event however stole the spotlight and quickly went viral her heartfelt wish to return to romantic comedies. Is a rom-com next for Deepika? During the interaction a fan asked Deepika when audiences would finally see her in a rom-com again. Without hesitation she smiled and said she hopes it happens “very very soon.” Calling romantic comedies one of her favourite genres both as an audience member and as an actor Deepika admitted she deeply misses that space. She also spoke honestly about the current mood of cinema. According to her audiences today seem to be looking for something different which is why lighter genres have taken a back seat. Still she added that if so many fans are asking for a rom-com it clearly means a large section of the audience wants it too. Ranveer Hrithik or Shah Rukh; who do fans choose? The moment Deepika expressed her interest the room erupted with suggestions. One fan shouted Hrithik Roshan’s name another cheekily suggested a film with two male leads while the host decided to settle the debate with a quick poll. The choices are Hrithik Roshan Shah Rukh Khan or Ranveer Singh. While Hrithik and Shah Rukh received plenty of love the loudest cheers were reserved for Ranveer Singh. When the host jokingly told Deepika “Dhurandhar and all is alright” she repeated the line with a grin clearly enjoying the crowd’s enthusiasm. Why aren’t producers backing rom-coms anymore? Deepika didn’t shy away from addressing the industry reality. She asked fans whether they would mind if she did a rom-com for OTT instead of theatres before pointing out a bigger issue. According to her producers and writers are currently hesitant to invest in lighter genres. She revealed that her team is constantly on the lookout for scripts rooted in love drama and romance but very few creators are writing or backing such stories at the moment. What’s next for Deepika? In 2024 Deepika was seen in Fighter Kalki 2898 AD and Singham Again. She is now gearing up for Siddharth Anand’s King with Shah Rukh Khan and Atlee’s upcoming film with Allu Arjun. On the personal front Deepika and Ranveer welcomed their daughter Dua in September 2024. For now fans can only hope that the loud cheers at her birthday meet translate into a rom-com announcement — because clearly love stories are still very much wanted.