Deepika Padukone had quite a year in 2018, from starring in one of the biggest box office hits - Padmaavat - to marrying her sweetheart, Ranveer Singh. She also became the first female celebrity to break into the top five on the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list. Her earnings of Rs 112.8 crore placed her at rank 4.
In a live interview with fans on Instagram, Deepika revealed that when she got the news, she was convinced it was a prank and got her team to cross check the official email that she had received.
She attributed her making it to the Forbes list in part to the success of Padmaavat and said, “I have gone about doing things I feel are correct in my heart.” She mentioned that her role in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali period drama was one of the most challenging she played.
When asked whether she’s like to play more royal characters similar to those she essayed in Padmaavat and Bajirao Mastani, Deepika cheekily replied that she didn’t mind being “Ranveer ke dil ki rani (the queen of Ranveer’s heart)” but would otherwise like to give the role a break.
Deepika also shared that while she took a sabbatical spent most of 2018 travelling and reconnecting with loved ones, she was excited to dive back into work. The actor will be seen playing acid attack survivor Lakshmi Agarwal in Chhapaak. Directed by Raazi’s Meghna Gulzar, the film tells the story of Agarwal who was attacked in 2005 in Delhi, at the age of 15, by a man whose advances she had rejected. She has since become an influential advocate for other acid attack survivors.
Noting that the role wasn’t exactly what she had initially had in mind, Deepika said, “I was looking for a love story. But within five minutes of speaking to Meghna, I knew in my heart that this is what I wanted to do next. There was something about Meghna herself, Lakshmi’s story and Meghna’s conviction in it.” The film is will go on floors in March and is scheduled to release by the end of the year.
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