Did 'Bajirao Mastani' for Sanjay Leela Bhansali: Priyanka Chopra

Actress Priyanka Chopra, who is not playing the title role in "Bajirao Mastani", says she has a very challenging role as Kashibai in the film, which she took on only for director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

"I did this film for Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I know you all will ask me, 'Mastani is played by Deepika (Padukone), and Bajirao is played by Ranveer (Singh). So why did you do this film?' Let me tell you, I was the first person to be cast in this film. I remember Sanjay came to me with this script and he was clear he wanted me to do this film," Priyanka said here.

"I thought Kashibai's character was very heart-breaking. This is a feminine character and it was very challenging for me to do the role... It's a special film for me. I am just super excited to be part of it," she added.

Priyanka Chopra will be seen playing Bajirao's first wife in the movie.

"It was not easy to do this role. I wanted to get the Maharashtrian accent right and there were many dramatic scenes, which I used to take back home. I am generally a switch on and off actor, but this character was very heart-wrenching."

The film is slated for December 18 release.