Why Padmavati Was An 'Exhausting Experience' For Deepika Padukone

New Delhi: Actress Deepika Padukone's period drama Padmavati, co-starring Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, is one of the most-awaited films of this year. Deepika, 31, plays Rani Padmini of Chittor, who performed jauhar when their fort was invaded by Alauddin Khilji. Ranveer Singh features as Alauddin Khilji while Shahid Kapoor plays Raja Ratan Singh, Rani Padmini's husband. Deepika, who has collaborated with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the third time, said that Padmavati was an 'exhausting experience' for her, reports news agency IANS. "Working in Padmavati was an exhausting experience. It takes quite a lot to work on a character for nine months constantly round the clock. Certain characters just don't leave your system," she said.

Meanwhile, designers Rimple and Harpreet Narula, who worked on Deepika, Ranveer and Shahid's costumes for Padmavati said, "We immersed ourselves in the history of that particular period during the initial sessions in which he took us through the script and the characterisations. It is an extremely challenging task to envision and design garments."

Meanwhile, a rangoli of Deepika's Padmavati poster, made by an artist in Gujarat's Surat, was vandalised by a group of protesters. Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an outfit of the Rajput community, has also opposed the release of Padmavati until Mr Bhansali shows the film to them.

Padmavati is Deepika Padukone's first Hindi release of the year. Her debut Hollywood film xXx: Return of Xander Cage hit the screens last January.

Padmavati releases on December 1.