India, Nov. 19 -- Actor Deepika Padukone, who has been at the forefront of conversations around fair working hours and equal pay, says she has now reached a phase in her career where box-office milestones no longer define her choices. This comes after her exit from two major projects opposite actor Prabhas. In a recent interview, Deepika stated that big-budget films no longer excite her. "Honestly, how much more fame, how much more success, how much more money? At this stage, it's not about that anymore. It's not about the Rs.100 crore films, or even the Rs.500-Rs.600 crore ones," the 39-year-old told Harper's Bazaar India. When the interviewer pointed out that she has 'ticked all those boxes anyway', the actor responded, "That doesn't excite me anymore. What excites me is empowering other talent. My team and I are now focused on that - enabling storytelling and supporting other creative minds, writers, directors, and even new producers. That's what feels meaningful to me now." Earlier this year, Deepika's alleged fallout with filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga and exit from his film Spirit was followed by her being removed from Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2898 AD sequel. Later, she announced being a part of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer King, directed by Siddharth Anand, touted to released next year. She has also signed Atlee's next directorial opposite Allu Arjun, tentatively titled AA22xA6. htc...