Working with the grand auteur Sanjay Leela Bhansali is said to be a life-changing experience. Of course, no one said it necessarily is a happy one! Both the leading men of his magnum opus Padmavati are battling serious issues as a result of working in his period extravaganza.

Ranveer Singh had taken his prep to get under the skin of his role as the cruel Alauddin Khilji so seriously, that he apparently just couldn’t get back to normal even after filming ended. The actor supposedly had to take recourse to psychotherapy to rid himself of the Khilji influence.

Inspired by Bhansali’s zeal for authenticity, Ranveer had been digging deep into the negativity of the cruel conqueror, Khilji. In the process of ‘becoming Khilji’, he locked himself up in his apartment, and stayed in that head-space for weeks. Remaining in character for close to a year had to take its toll. He would stalk around in costume, dark and brooding, and would not welcome any distractions. It started to seriously affect his behaviour towards people, and his own personality and perception of reality.

That’s when his near and dear ones apparently sounded the alarm, and recommended that he seek help. Therapy sessions have been slowly enabling the actor to shed the Khilji persona and rediscover his real self. Rejuvenating holidays have been helping to bring cheer, as did buying a posh new car. Yet, traces of pensiveness spotted in the generally livewire actor, suggest that not all the darkness has been exorcised…

Bhansali’s Maharawal Ratan Singh has been fighting battles of a more physical nature. Shooting for some of the action sequences in the film aggravated a ligament tear that Shahid Kapoor had suffered in July. Racing to complete the film meant no time for healing, and with swollen ankles and severe pain, Shahid continued to shoot the demanding action sequences, without a murmur.

When you sign up with SLB, you evidently sign up for both ecstasy and agony!