The trailer of Deepika Padukone’s next film Chhapaak dropped yesterday. The film is about Malti, a young woman who is attacked with acid and whose face and body are permanently disfigured because of it. The story is told from Malti’s point of view. It is based on the story of activist and acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal.
The film is directed and co-produced by Meghna Gulzar and bankrolled by Fox Star Studios and co-produced by Deepika Padukone (Ka Productions). Chhapaak follows the journey of the lead character as she traverses the many hurdles a young woman like her faces in our society.
Malti comes from a humble and unprivileged background. She is attacked with acid on a street in New Delhi, in 2005. Her assailant is a man twice her age, whose advances Malti declines. Through Malti’s story, the film attempts to look at the various aspects of such an attack.
With acid attack surviros, there are multiple factors to consider – medical, legal, and social. The film is a first-hand look at Malti’s life after the attack, her disfigurement, her struggle to accept herself, her legal battle, her rehabilitation, her facial surgeries, and the constant struggle for financial independence.
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During this time, Malti comes across other survivors when she joins a campaign against acid violence. It is here that she meets Amol, the founder of the campaign. Another key character in the film is Archana Bajan, Malti’s lawyer who helps her file a PIL in the Supreme Court in 2013 that leads to an amendment in the laws with regard to acid attacks.
The film is written by Atika Chohan, Meghna Gulzar and stars Deepika Padukone, Vikrant Massey in the lead roles. The film will release across India on 10th January 2020.
Watch the trailer here: