Superstar Deepika Padukone is debuting as a producer and headlining the cast of Disney-owned Fox Star Studios ‘Splash’ (“Chhapaak”), a film that deals with the issues of acid attacks against women.
“I’ve turned producer because I want to enable some of the films that I do,” Deepika tells the media.
“I’m not doing it because I’m a woman. At one of these press conferences, they spoke about ‘Splash’ being a female-centric film, for example. No, I’m not doing this film because it is female-centric. It really makes the film small. Sometimes you want to have more skin in the game; you want to be more involved.”
Acid attack perpetrators usually splash acid on the faces of their victims, with a view to disfiguring them. ‘Splash’ is based on the life of Laxmi Agarwal, who survived an acid attack in 2005, at the age of 15, from a rejected suitor. Agarwal launched the Stop Sale Acid campaign, which won plaudits around the world, including a 2014 International Women of Courage Award from then U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama.
‘Splash; is directed by Meghna Gulzar, who is also producer with her company Mriga Films.
“The story is not so much about the incident itself as much as about her life after,” says Padukone. “And what she’s made of. What she’s made her life. How she’s used that experience, what she’s become today, how she’s used her voice. And all of the challenges and the struggles that she and people like her face.”
The highly anticipated movie is due for release worldwide on 10th January 2020.
