New Delhi, 8 January,2020: It is heartening to see the audience is ready to accept a film like "Chhapaak", actor Deepika Padukone on Tuesday said, adding she is proud to be associated with the film which is based on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal.
Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film features Deepika as a young woman Malti who struggles to rebuild and fight back her life after a man throws acid on her face on a street.
The movie, also starring actor Vikrant Massey, showcases Laxmi's journey in the time after her attack spanning 10 years, a significant part of the story is the game-changing PIL in the Supreme Court which inspired the amendment on acid laws in 2013.
The 34-year-old actor said "Chhapaak", which releases Friday, was the "toughest" film she ever worked on in her career.
"We've made the film with a lot of honesty and sincerity, and I would like to believe it comes through. It's been the toughest journey for me as an actor. I think now we're slowly inching towards this little baby of ours going into the world.
"But it's a film nonetheless we are very proud of. The fact that we attempted making it, the fact that the audience is ready for a film like this, that a director like Meghna Gulzar thinks of a film like this..." Deepika, who has turned producer with the film, said at a special screening of the movie hosted by the National Commission for Women (NCW).
"As an actor and as a human being I've been hugely impacted by this story of acid attack survivors, Laxmi in particular, I hope we've been able to do justice to her incredible story," she added.
Meghna said the team has a "personal and internal" bond with the film and hopes the audience appreciates their effort.
"Whatever little we can do with your support to take this conversation forward is all what we want for for a better society, for all of us," the filmmaker said.
Vikrant added, "I hope we can help each other out for the common cause we are standing for."
NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma praised the cast and crew for making a "beautiful" film on a "serious subject" like acid attack violence.
As a nodal agency from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Sharma said, the commission has been closely working with acid attack survivors.
"We have an online monitoring (portal) on acid attacks and in the last few years almost 900 cases have been registered," she said.
"In spite of the PIL that Laxmi has won, the acid is still sold in every state. We are still fighting and all the survivors of these attacks are still fighting for their rights and compensation," Sharma added.
