'Never focused on vanity'

An actress par excellence, Deepika Padukone has returned to the big screen to tell the hopeful story of an acid attack victim in 'Chhapaak'. The 33-year-old shares that making the film was an emotionally draining experience, which even saw the resurgence of her own depression.  "Ironically, it was the same time where we were showing her healing and her journey to recovery. It happens in stages - the first is the shock that it has happened, then coming to the fact that this is now a reality, and then the transition between acknowledging and accepting the reality that's the toughest part. First, you are just recovering from a medical point of view, that was not as challenging as accepting the reality," she elucidates, adding that this aspect took a toll on her.

"The toll that it took on me emotionally, the actual emotional burden, was between action and cut. Because that's when I was living through what Laxmi has been through," Deepika adds. The story of 'Chhapaak' revolves around Laxmi Agarwal, an acid attack survivor who now speaks for the rights of other attack victims. Deepika shares that despite her harrowing past, Laxmi is making the most of her life. "There is no space for sympathy in her life. You go to meet her with all kinds of assumptions, but it's so refreshing when you actually meet her. She is so free-spirited. We always assume they will be a certain way, but they broke every notion of it," she smiles. The actress further reveals that giving up her drop-dead gorgeous looks for this role was not even on her mind.