Deepika Padukone on playing Draupadi: The role of a lifetime

Deepika Padukone. Pic/ Instagram

Her maiden production, Chhapaak, may be a few months away from its date with the audience, but Deepika Padukone has already greenlit her next venture. The actor, in collaboration with producer Madhu Mantena, will bring Mahabharat to the big screen. Continuing her streak of portraying powerful author-backed parts, Padukone will breathe life into one of the Indian epic's most enduring characters, Draupadi. Interestingly, the story will be told from the perspective of the female protagonist.

"We all know the Mahabharat for its mythological tales and socio-cultural influence. We derive many of life's lessons from the epic. But the narrative we are most familiar with is that of the epic's leading men. This new perspective will be not only interesting but also significant," says Padukone, who has constantly striven to tell stories of female bravado with her offerings. Her next, Chhapaak, directed by Meghna Gulzar, is inspired by the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal.

Aware that three hours is too little to do justice to Draupadi's journey from her birth in Panchala to her role in the destruction of the Kauravas, the duo intends to make it a multi-part franchise, with the first edition slated to release in Diwali 2021.

Madhu Mantena

Padukone acknowledges that mounting the film on the grand scale that it deserves, is both daunting as well as creatively fulfilling. "While I'm thrilled and honoured, I'm also nervous and can only hope that we are able to create something that we can all be proud of. I believe this is the role and opportunity of a lifetime."

While the duo is scouting for a director to give shape to their vision, they are also in discussion with leading actors to step into the pivotal roles of Yudhishthir, Arjuna, Bheem, Nakul and Sahdev. "We all know and have studied Mahabharat throughout our lives but not from the point of view of Draupadi, who happens to be one of the most important female icons in Indian history. This is an ambitious project, and if not for Deepika, we wouldn't be so confident about taking on this challenge," says Mantena, adding that they will announce the rest of the cast and creative team soon.

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