‘I was cast in ‘Bajirao’ before Deepika, Ranveer’

Actress Priyanka Chopra says she took on the role of Kashibai in the period drama Bajirao Mastani just for director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

“I know you all will ask me, [the character] Mastani is played by Deepika [Padukone], and [the character] Bajirao is played by Ranveer [Singh]. So why did you do this film?’ Let me tell you, I was the first person to be cast in this film. I remember Sanjay came to me with this script and he was clear he wanted me to do this film,” Chopra said in Mumbai.

“I thought Kashibai’s character was very heartbreaking. This is a feminine character and it was very challenging for me to do the role.

“It’s a special film for me. I am just super excited to be part of it,” she added. Chopra plays Bajirao’s first wife in the movie. “It was not easy to do this role. I wanted to get the Maharashtrian accent right and there were many dramatic scenes, [the fallout of ] which I used to take back home. I am generally a switch on-and-off actor, but this character was very heart-wrenching.” The film releases in the UAE on December 17.