I would vomit after every scene, reveals Ranveer Singh about shooting Padmaavat

Padmaavat may have released with lots of fuss about the allegedly offensive portrayal of Rani Padmavati, but it's Ranveer Singh's scene-stealing performance as Alauddin Khilji that everyone's talking about right now.

Despite concerns that his character wasn't true to historical record, and that Khilji was portrayed to be a one-tone villain, Singh says he's glad this role was a gamble that's paid off.

In an interview with Indian Express, he said, "(People) said it was too big a risk to play a villain, a negative shade at this point in my career. In our country, if they love the character, they love the actor and the opposite could happen. But I am very happy that I put my faith in the evolution of the audience that they will be able to recognise my performance and recognise that I am an actor, who chooses to do things a bit differently."

So how did he get under the skin of this out-and-out villain?

"I took 21 days and locked myself up in my Goregaon house... I kind of isolated myself, marinated into the character because I can’t relate to Alaudin Khilji, I can’t relate to that level of manipulativeness, greed and ambition. I had to tap into dark experiences but his world view is not something I can relate to also.

"I kept working on my physique, my voice and the gait. I built a sort of foundation that I took with myself to the set and once I was on set, I allowed Bhansali to free flow with my character. I just gave him the foundation."

Singh gives his director Sanjay Leela Bhansali full credit for bringing out his character's impact:

"He just knew what he wanted to do with Alaudin Khilji and was having so much fun doing it. I am really happy that our chemistry as actor-director has gotten better... Overtime a director finds his/her muse and they go on to create a vast legacy together. I believe that about Bhansali and myself."

Speaking about the physical challenges he faced in the film, Singh shared, "There was a time, like during those action sequences with Shahid and during “Khali Bali” dance scene, I would sometimes not be able to feel my legs. After the cut would be called, I would vomit. I remember shooting those running sequences in the jauhar scene. It was May. In Filmcity, it was 45-degree heat and I was wearing a 12-kilogram leather and prosthetic armour and there were burning tyres everywhere. So, after the cut was called, my whole vision would become hazy and I would collapse. Then I would have to be resuscitated and given some water to go into the next take. I used to vomit my guts out and go for the next take."

No surprises that the experience of shooting Padmaavat was as intense as watching it!