Padmavati: Sanjay Leela Bhansali says 'Deepika Padukone's character inspired by Vyjayanthimala in Amrapali'

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati could easily be called 2017’s most anticipated film. After the trailer of the film released, a lot of people were left wondering what inspired Bhansali to create something as grand as the film. According to a report by ibtimes.com, Bhansali says Lekh Tandon’s 1966 film Amrapali inspired both Bajirao Mastani and Padmavati. [caption id=“attachment_4073173” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Poster of Padmavati. Twitter@DeepikaPadukone[/caption] The acclaimed filmmaker-composer says an awe-inspiring Vyjayanthimala dancing to the tunes of ‘Tumhe Yaad Karte Karte’, ‘Jao Re Jogi Tum Jao Re’, ‘Tadapyeh Dil Raat Ki’ and ‘Neel Gagan Ki Chaon Mein’ was his guide for Deepika Padukone’s character in the upcoming magnum opus. Padukone’s Padmavati exudes power and elegance in equal measure. Speaking about her character at the launch of Hema Malini's biography , she revealed that working on the film was especially taxing for her. “Certain characters just don’t leave your system,” she says. She has apparently worked on the getting the nuances of her role right for a period of about nine months. Starring Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, Padmavati will be the director’s third film with both Singh and Padukone. The three had earlier worked on Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela in 2013 and for the 2015 historical drama on Peshwa Bajirao. The film releases on 1 December.