"But wouldn't that be a little controversial?" said Deepika.

"Absolutely. And that is the point," said Bhansali as he pushed back his spectacles up the bridge of his nose. His eyes exuded enthusiasm of a child finding his passion for the first time.

"So I look at Ranveer...with love?" said Deepika struggling under heavy makeup and jewelry she was wearing for the scene. Shahid Kapur, who played her husband in the film, stood next to her in the traditional Rajputana costume looking dapper.

Bhansali had a keen eye for set design, makeup, and costumes, but now, Deepika feared, his judgment of scripts might have taken a hit after two previous successful films. How could queen Padmavati, the symbol of Rajput purity look at Khilji with love?

"No, no, no, no. You have to look intrigued," said Bhansali.

Shahid listened silently. He was recovering from dengue so he had remained silent for most of the schedule. Still, it never showed in his performance, as far as Deepika could tell, and has been a thorough professional with no tantrums. He never turned up late on set and sat patiently for his makeup and costume, although it was much simpler than hers. All this, even though he knew the focus of the film was going to be Ranveer.

"So I look intently at him," said Deepika.

"Yes, with curious eyes," said Bhansali.

Deepika wondered how she would make her eyes curious. "OK," she said.

The next half an hour Bhansali went timidly like a rat all around the sprawling set speaking with different heads of the departments, and numerous assistant directors. Meanwhile, Deepika climbed up to an observing gallery overhead apparently where women of Rajput palace sat during court proceedings.

She sat among women wearing copious jewelry (still a lot less than Deepika). Every scene of this film is like a wedding ritual, she thought. Bhansali talked to his cameraman now probably explaining the lighting and scene blocking which Deepika couldn't be more ignorant about. She saw Shahid sitting on his throne directly facing the giant entrance to the hall where the camera now stood on the crane.

Bhansali switched on his microphone began explaining to the light people the sequences of various lights placed all over the expansive hall. The lighting on this film had been particularly confusing for Deepika, as the lush Rajputana palaces and the beautiful Delhi forts, as Ranveer told her, were all shot in low light, unlike the last two films where even the night sequences were amply lit.

Shahid, who played the king, sat straight his head high in the air as one would imagine a king too, while Deepika sat in her high seat above overlooking the entire courtroom in a full veil. The camera was on Shahid.

"Silence!" as soon as Bhansali said, the sound died on the set, Deepika knew it was time for the take. Everyone became still.

"Action!"

Shahid wore his stoic expression and lifted his head to acknowledge someone's arrival. The camera receded from him traversing the carpet that went from the throne to the entrance to the hall in front.

As the camera turned about, Ranveer entered the hall. His makeup, also heavy, certainly didn't make him look good, however, the scars, the heavy kohl in glassy eyes, a fur coat that rose from his shoulders to as high as his ears, his hair dangling by the side his face, all made him look dreadful.

He was doing his walk which Deepika has only seen in their private encounters at her apartment when he showed her what all he was preparing for the roll. Deepika made a mental note to tell him later that he looked hideous.

She composed herself, for soon, the camera would come for her close. The elaborate scene was to be a single long take.

Intrigued. Deepika repeated the word in her mind.

From Ranveer, the camera went back to Shahid for his reaction and then moved outward towards Deepika until the crane rested exactly at her height and panned to her face.

"Cut! Cut! Cut!"

Deepika instantly knew Bhansali wasn't pleased, and honestly, she wasn't either. All she had done was opened her mouth a little behind closed lips and looked at Ranveer how she normally does. It would have worked on a Farah Khan set or a fashion show but not with Bhansali.

But Bhansali went to Shahid, instead and whispered something to him, then he went to Ranveer and probably appreciated him for the performance because that is all Bhansali did during Ramleela and Bajirao Mastani.

Finally, Bhansali moved towards the camera that was still beside Deepika and directed the operator to bring the crane down. He mounted on top of the camera crane and reached beside her.

"Don't look at him longingly."

Deepika frowned. Really..? Was she..?

"He has come to pillage your kingdom and rape as many women he can," said Bhansali. "You want absolutely nothing with him."

Deepika nodded. Intrigued and spiteful, she told herself.

So there were several more takes where Deepika tried numerous things while she looked at Ranveer, including once when she smiled, which almost infuriated Bhansali, but after some twenty-odd takes, Bhansali called it for the day. She couldn't say if he got his shot but he never mentioned redoing the scene so she knew it was done with.

Ranveer left as soon as Bhansali announced the day. He did not wish to be cordial with co-actors on the set of a film in which he wished them dead. Deepika felt sad but understood; she wanted him to be around after the excruciating day of work, especially when she was humiliated by repeated takes, but she checked her emotions.

She reminded herself she shouldn't get too invested or she will face the same heartbreak as when Ranbir had left him, that unleashed her demons which she thought she could never get over. But she did. And promised herself to not fall so hard for anyone, at which she was failing miserably.

The metallic stairs behind the courtroom set that went behind the courtroom wall were very narrow. She steered her way down lifting her heavy lehenga on four sides until a costume girl rushed to her help. It took five makeup artists to strip her off of the intricately designed lehenga and the lightweight fake jewelry, and so could not be done in her small vanity van.

As she made her way to the green room, two girls walked along with her holding her attire in case she tripped. When she reached the green room she found Shahid Kapur waiting for her, still in costume.

"Hey!" he said.

"Hi," Deepika said brightly.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Yeah sure. What is it?"

"Probably after this," Shahid seemed a little uncomfortable. "I'll wait at your vanity. Your secretary is there?"

"Yeah, okay," she said.

"I'll be there," he said with a smile and went to his green room.

Deepika frowned at this strange development.

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