People should watch the film before passing any judgement: Deepika

Comments [ 3 ] By Priyanka Chauhan | 18 December 2015 | 11:47am

What are you expecting from the film?

I am expecting that people will come out speechless and I am very sure that it's going to be one of those films that people are not going to forget for a very long time that's the feeling that I am getting as an audience. The scale, the performances, the music; I think one viewing is not going to be enough. People will have to watch the film 2 or 3 times to just digest every aspect of the film, because there is so much happening it's such a big film, there is so much drama and emotions; that it's going to take people time. I can visualize that when people are going to come out of the theatre there is going to be stunned silence, you won't want to see the person next to you there will be so much to take back. Even in the car when people are going back there is just going to be silence because you won't realize what has hit you. And I hope that most importantly people are inspired by the movie because I think that as an actor when I was doing this role, I was very inspired by the characters 'Bajirao and Mastani' for the kind of people they were. I was very inspired by their journey, their strength and conviction in whatever they did. So I think they are also very inspiring characters and I think it's a very inspiring film.

What qualities do you take back from your character?

There's a lot of Mastani that's very relatable. Inspiring because of what all she went through and what all she is stood for but I feel like other than the period itself I just found her character extremely relatable because of the kind of woman she was. How brave she was, how strong she was, how determined she was and at the same time how fragile and vulnerable she was. I find that qualities of her are there in each one of us and that's why I find that Mastani is going to be relatable yet inspiring at the same time.

While you were playing the character, what did you find more difficult; like to perform the actions scenes or to emotionally emote whatever she was going through in the film?

I found the physically demanding scenes very tough. The songs I found the most difficult. In fact actually the songs are what I found the most difficult followed by the horse riding and the sword fighting. So whatever was physically demanding is what I found the most difficult. The scenes and all were fine. I was okay with the scenes but songs are what I really struggled with that.

What about the other controversies that are surrounding the film. They are calling it obscene and vulgar, etc. So are you worried about that?

No, not at all! I think people should watch a film before passing any kind of judgement. I have always believed that watch the film first and then say whatever you have to say. It's a bit premature to be jumping to any conclusion.

Talking about comparisons, six months back a film came 'Baahubali' was shot on a huge scale and it raised the bar of Indian cinema and now 'Bajirao Mastani' is coming. So the comparisons in terms of scale are bound to happen, so do you see this positively because Baahubali was a great success or negatively because it will be a challenge to match up to the expectations?

Like I keep saying, whether it's with films or actors, we don't have to keep comparing all the time. I haven't seen BAAHUBALI, but from whatever I've heard and read about it, it's one of the highlights of 2015 in terms of what one was able to do with visual effects, or it was until of course BAJIRAO MASTANI happened. But I feel that film is different. BAJIRAO MASTANI is very different, and you'll see that. You accept things for what it is and appreciate them for what they are. Yes BAAHUBALI was a huge turning point for the film industry, but so will BAJIRAO MASTANI. It is going to set a new benchmark at every level.

Apparently 90% of single screens have decided to show BAJIRAO MASTANI and not DILWALE. So how do you see that?

I don't understand how many screens are there, who decides to show which film. The only thing I'm looking forward to is when the film releases, what are people going to take back from BAJIRAO MASTANI, how special has the film been for them for all the hard work and effort we've put in, what's the audiences take away from Bajirao and Mastani. I don't understand number of screens, business and the clash.

You've had Box Office success, and this year too you had 3 films, so how tough was it for you to manage doing it?

Very tough! In fact, for me, the preparation was a lot of mental preparation, and it was about telling myself that I'm going to be juggling between 3 very different films, filmmakers and characters. To constantly keep jumping from one to the other obviously wasn't the most ideal situation for me. I wish I could just do one film at a time and focus on that. But then that would've probably meant to drop out or not do some of the other films which I wouldn't have allowed ever. So of course when I look back now, I'm very proud of the work I've done, but it was also mentally very exhausting.

How tough was it to get the emotions right for BAJIRAO MASTANI, especially since you've been doing other films too?

I have something very interesting to say. Playing Mastani was very challenging, because it's very easy for Mastani to be disliked. So how do you find that balance and approve to the world that Bajirao and Mastani were just made to be and could do no wrong. In the trailer, there's a fight sequence where I'm holding a child in one hand and there's a sword on the other hand. There are so many things that kick in at that point, because on one hand, you're maternal instinct is to know that the child is okay and you want to give him that comfort of not getting scared and at the same time being able to attack these 5-6 people who've surrounded you. It's been a very difficult thing. One minute she goes on the battlefield, next minute she's romancing him.

Any other historical figure you want to portray after Mastani?

It'll take me a while to do justice to another historical character at least as a woman, because there's so much she had to offer, because of which there was so much I had to give myself that it'll be a while till another character truly inspires me, or atleast for me to be able to do justice as an actor.

Did Ranveer play any prank on BAJIRAO MASTANI sets?

He's not a prankster, at least not on this film. He's someone who becomes the character, so I don't know if he'll appreciate that I'm sharing this but when he walks onto set, he wants to be called Bajirao and not by his name. That's how much he gets into the character. So if any AD said Ranveer your shot is ready, he won't respond. In this film or GOLIYON KI RASLEELA: RAM LEELA, there wasn't much of fooling around or joking around. You can't afford to because it doesn't allow you that. In our previous, we still had some fun in the lighter scenes, but in BAJIRAO MASTANI, there was no scope for that.

Did you and Priyanka do ragging with Ranveer Singh on BAJIRAO MASTANI sets?

Yes. I remember there's one scene where Bajirao brings Mastani to Shanivaar wada for the first time and Kashi's there to receive them. We were shooting that scene and I remember that the two of us were sitting with each other and we kept talking and he would feel really out of place two women are looking at him and talking. He was getting all weird. But he's worked with her, I've worked with him, I've known her from before, so it's a very comfortable working equation.

Have you been affected by Ranveer's high energy aura?

No, because I'm very aware of me and his personality type. I think the difference is that I don't try and keep up with him because I'm very comfortable with where I am and who I am. I respect and understand his energy levels or why he is the way he is, so there's a lot of comfort in that.

Priyanka Chopra and you were very comfortable with each other and got along really well which Sanjay Leela Bhansali didn't like. What exactly did he tell the two of you?

He actually narrated situations and said, "Why can't you take four hours to get ready and then you don't come out of the van." He even told us how he wants us to fight. He said something else also, "She comes out of the van and sees the other's costume and asks for costume to be changed and goes away." Priyanka and I used to burst out laughing. I found that really hilarious that not only he wants us to fight but he is also creating the situations and saying why don't you all fight like this. That's why in the making, we were sitting with our backs facing each other.

There are heavy dramatic scenes and also some action scenes in Bajirao Mastani but you said that the song and dance were the most difficult for you. Since you're a very good dancer how was that not easy?

I don't know. Somehow with Sanjay sir, especially on this film, I find the songs the most difficult. The minute there's a song coming up, I get very stressed. Maybe it's what he expects for me or how he visualises the song. I don't know what it is but it's somehow the songs that gets me all stressed out. Deewani Mastani was the last song that I had to shoot and after that I had the climax of the film left but as I finished the song I was very happy. I'm not saying only in this film, even in Ram Leela, I found the songs very difficult. In fact this time, I was mentally better prepared but still that wasn't enough. When I shot for the Kathak song, I wanted to give up and didn't want to shoot the film anymore. I was exhausted and couldn't do it.

How do you plan to unwind?

Take a long holiday and I think I deserve that. I have been working nonstop. I have had three very demanding and different films that released this year and promotions are equally exhausting now for an actor. So I think I am happy with what all I have been able to do this year and now I look forward to a very long break.

Priyanka Chauhan

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