Deepika Padukone, who will soon be seen in director Shoojit Sircar’s next that also stars Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan, made the most of the film’s shooting schedule in Varanasi. During the schedule that lasted for over two weeks, the actor enjoyed the local food, visited the markets, and even shopped for trinkets and souvenirs for her friends back in Mumbai.
An insider from the unit says, “The moment Deepika used to finish work for the day, she would head out to explore the city. At times, even Irrfan accompanied her.” Since the team was there for a fairly long schedule, Deepika was able to plan her trips to the touristy spots in Varanasi better. “She made sure she visited the temples and famous ghats at times when she would not get mobbed by the locals,” says the insider.
Ask Deepika about the experience, and she calls it a “spiritual” one. “I visited the place for the first time, and felt completely at peace. Irrfan and I also walked through the railway station area,” she says, adding that she used every opportunity to walk around the city. “We had a location shift, and the crew insisted that we sit in the car, but Irrfan and I wanted to walk it. As actors, we don’t get to walk on the roads very often. It was a five to seven minute walk; we also sat under a tree and had chai in a roadside shop.”
