Mumbai, Jan 27 (IANS): Indian auteur Sanjay Leela Bhansali, whose film ‘Padmaavat’ clocked 7 years of its release recently, has shared that he has been fascinated by the story of Padmavati since childhood.

Showcasing the legendary tale of Padmavati, ‘Padmaavat’ is a visual spectacle with opulent sets, intricate costumes, and soul-stirring music. The film starred Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, and Shahid Kapoor,and is known to be one of Bhansali's most ambitious projects bringing out the unmatched visual artistry.

Talking about the film, Sanjay Leela Bhansali said, “It is based on the poem ‘Padmaavat’ by Malik Mohammed Jayasi. However, it also has figures and incidents taken from actual history. I have been fascinated by Padmavati since childhood. Her grace, dignity, valour, and inner strength are very inspiring”.

He revealed that he had long envisioned creating a film on Padmavati’s life and even directed a stage musical years earlier.

He further mentioned, “I wanted to make a film on her life for a very long time. But before I could do the film, I got the chance to direct the stage musical version of Padmavati, an opera in two acts by the French composer Albert Roussel that I directed in Paris in 2008”.

“That Padmavati was a staged musical done on a lavish scale with elephants, tigers, and other animals on stage. It was an entirely different experience from the film. This is the first time I explored evil in such dark deep detail. I had never gone into this zone before. To portray evil on this scale was a new and challenging experience for me”, he added.

The film also starred Aditi Rao Hydari, Jim Sarbh, Raza Murad, and Anupriya Goenka featured in supporting roles.

The film is set to be re-released in theaters on February 6, 2025.