Deepika Padukone, Vikrant Massey and director Meghna Gulzar launched the trailer for Chhapaak on 10 December. The film is based on the life of Laxmi Agarwal, who survived an acid attack in 2005 at the age of 15. Deepika plays a character named Malti in the film and Vikrant Massey’s role is modelled on that of Laxmi’s partner, social activist Alok Dixit.
Deepika, whose character Malti is modelled on Laxmi, was extremely moved by the trailer and teared up on stage. “Usually you have to sit through the entire process and decide whether you want to do a film or not and it’s not often that you come across a story where you know instantly in the first few minutes of meeting a director that this is what you want to commit your life to and Chhapaak is that for me,” she said. The actor added that she considers the film as one of the most memorable ones of her career.
“Meghna, thank you so much for trusting me with this. It’s been an incredible journey emotionally, putting it together; and I feel irrespective of how it’s received and how it does, it will be my most special film of my career and I truly hope that all of you see what we saw in it. We’ve made it with a lot of love, a lot of passion, a lot of enthusiasm, with a lot of responsibility and… I’m lost for words.”Deepika Padukone
Deepika also confessed that she wasn’t sure how she would feel when she first saw herself in character. Describing the first time she tried on the prosthesis for the character, Deepika said: “When I looked at myself in the mirror for the first time, I looked at Meghna (Gulzar) and I said, ‘I feel like myself. Nothing has changed.’ And that’s the day I found my character. That’s the day I knew exactly what I need to do in this movie. I don’t think we should be or are defined by our external appearances only.”
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