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EXCLUSIVE: Deepika Padukone & I are working hard to put everything together: Madhu Mantena on Draupadi
Deepika and I are trying to do the Mahabharata from Draupadi’s point of view because we want the people to understand who Draupadi is, says producer Madhu Mantena. Details.
It was in 2019, when Madhu Mantena and Deepika Padukone announced their ambitious plans of narrating the epic tale of Mahabharata from Draupadi’s point of view. The announcement created a stir in the industry, with the common notion of Deepika being the best choice to play the titular role in the epic. Two years since then, one hasn’t heard about the project from officials. However, in an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, producer Madhu Mantena has confirmed that Draupadi is very much in the making and will take off after Ramayana.
“Deepika and I are making it together, but it’s going to be Ramayana first. These things take time and we don’t want to be irresponsible in our approach. Deepika and I are trying to do the Mahabharata from Draupadi’s point of view because we want the people to understand who Draupadi is. There is a lot of research that’s going on (as we speak),” Madhu informs, adding further that they have already reached the process of zeroing down on the material for the final screenplay.
We don’t want to be irresponsible in our approach.... These projects do take time, and we all know that. These are not small responsibilities, we are looking to create a world which has not been seen before.
Madhu Mantena
“Various drafts are being worked upon. Deepika is not making this film because she is an actor, she is making it because she and I strongly feel that it’s a great story that is to be told from Draupadi’s point of view. We are working hard to put everything together. These projects do take time, and we all know that. These are not small responsibilities, we are looking to create a world which has not been seen before,” Madhu adds.
Interestingly, Deepika Padukone is the key contender to play Sita in Madhu’s Ramayana too, with Hrithik Roshan and Mahesh Babu said to be in the conversations to play Ravaan and Ram respectively. While a confirmation is still awaited from the officials on the exact casting, as paperwork remains, Madhu in our interview promised that the cast of Ramayana will be the biggest in the history of Indian cinema. He also informed that an official announcement on the star-cast will be made around Diwali.
If Deepika ends up signing on for Ramayana in the days to come, which according to our sources will happen, she would be among the first actors to play two of the most important characters rooted in Indian mythology – Sita and Draupadi. Stay tuned for more updates on Ramayana, Draupadi and Deepika Padukone.
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