After watching Sarbjit, Dalbir Kaur and I broke down: Aishwarya

A day before 'Sarbjit' release, we caught up with the actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who is essaying the role of Dalbir Kaur in the film. The film that was screened at the Cannes film festival garnered a lot of appreciation. When asked about her experience, Aishwarya said, "I couldn't sit for the screening. Initially, I was sceptical whether or not we would be able to take the film there. This was the fastest film I have ever shot. It had an incredible pace. For us, Cannes was an ambition since a lot of work happened there. I felt happy to hear the reaction of the film. We got a very positive response. I couldn't express my happiness also because it was a sensitive subject."

Talking about the challenges of playing a real life character, the actress said, "More than challenging, it was a lot more responsibility. When I did Jag Mundhra’s Provoked, I was asked the same kind of questions. I feel responsibility is very immense. As a team we did a lot of preparations for the film. Production also plays a pivotal role. We wanted to reach out to the people. At the end of the day, we were content with what we had shot. I had to be seen ageing in the film and I had to asses physical changes. Emotionally, the writing was so strong that it touched my soul. It was very important to retain the responsibility. When Sarbjit's family saw the film, they were so moved."

“When I did Devdas and Choker Bali, I just played my characters. I didn't see the previous versions. But a lot has been documented about Dalbir Kaur. I referred those documented films and I also met her on the first day on the film’s sets when I was shooting the most emotional moment with Randeep Hooda. I had a very real conversation with her, and it wasn't like I was analysing her gestures for my role,” the actress added.

When asked the actress about giving her nod to the film, she reveals, "I was doing Jazbaa interactions and was rushing for IIFA. Omung gave me a narration for 15 minutes and I said yes. Then I went to shoot Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. I came back and heard the proper narration. I completely invested in the film. I salute the spirit of Dalbir Kaur. A lot had happened in her life and when she watched the film, she happily smiled and had a twinkle in her eye. I requested her not to compliment our work as actors. Soon after, we both broke down in the corner."

Talking about her co-actors, Aishwarya said, "Randeep, Richa and Darshan are brilliant actors. Our DOP Kiran Deohans shot the film so well. Art direction and make up artist did a fabulous job."