\'The idea was not to create Laxmi\'s face on Deepika Padukone but make her face scarred...

‘The idea was not to create Laxmi’s face on Deepika Padukone but make her face scarred the way Laxmi’s was’: Meghna Gulzar

Filmmaker Meghna Gulzar talks about her film Chhapaak, working on the looks for Deepika Padukone and more.

bollywood Updated: Jun 07, 2019 14:26 IST
Deepika Padukone and Vikrant Massey share a hug with Meghna Gulzar as they wrap up the shoot of Chhapaak.

Filmmaker Meghna Gulzar has said the character of Malti, essayed by Deepika Padukone in her upcoming film Chhapaak, will always remain with her. Speaking to Mumbai Mirror in an interview, Meghna said, “There is Malti, and then there is Deepika who became Malti. Malti’s presence on screen reflects the expression in Deepika’s eyes and on her face which comes through the prosthetics. For me, Malti is Deepika and Deepika is Malti.”

Revealing that Deepika had to spend two-and-a-half hours to get her prosthetics makeup done everyday, Meghna said, “But you won’t see all that she went through behind the scenes on screen. And that’s the most beautiful part.”

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“I didn’t want people to watch this film with their eyes shut, the idea was not to create Laxmi’s face on Deepika but something that would be Deepika’s face had it been scarred the way Laxmi’s was,” she added.

She also clarified that Chhapaak is not a biopic of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal alone. “Laxmi did visit the set a couple of times in Delhi and has been in constant touch through the writing and the prep. She knows the script and screenplay and is happy that the story is being told. But this isn’t just a story based on her life, it focusses on the issue in a larger perspective.”

The shooting for the film was wrapped up recently and Meghna had shared pictures with Deepika and Vikrant Massey. “And we wrapped #Chhapaak Malti... Amol... I will carry you with me. Thank you for your faith and for pouring yourself into our film!,” Meghna captioned the pictures. One showed her giving Deepika a hug and another shows her flashing a big smile with Vikrant and Deepika. Deepika is seen in full costume and make-up in the picture.

“A wrap is an emotional experience, more so for Chhapaak, because everyone working on it made it their own,” smiles Meghna, quick to say that Deepika’s character will stay with her for life,“ she told the tabloid. Chhapaak is scheduled to hit theatres in January next year.

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First Published: Jun 07, 2019 14:26 IST