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Deepika Padukone is currently racing to finish her schedule for actor Allu Arjun’s Raaka before she goes on maternity leave. As is known, she is expecting her second child in September. The superstar actress has been shooting demanding sequences well into her third trimester, including night shifts for the film’s Puranic, Vedic-era portions.

Resonance with real life

As per an India Today report, director Atlee Kumar has cast her as a pregnant woman in the film. The Jawan and King actress will be seen as a woman “struggling to survive amid the perils” of the ancient timeline, a role that has taken on an unusual real-life resonance given her own condition. Her portions are being filmed early in the schedule, whether alongside Allu Arjun or independently, though it remains unconfirmed whether the two will actually share screen space in these scenes. Rashmika Mandanna plays a guide and protector who helps steer Deepika’s character through the dangers of the ancient world, the report adds.

“Eight months pregnant and due to deliver very soon, Deepika Padukone is still shooting for Raaka. She is currently focused on wrapping up the shoot for the film. She is staying put on set and even working late into the night when required. The crew and teams are in absolute awe,” a source told Filmfare earlier this week.

Janhvi and Mrunal too to have meaty roles

Janhvi Kapoor takes on the role of a tribal queen. Since Atlee’s characters are meaty, expect her to play one of the pillars holding up Raaka’s multi-timeline narrative. The casting follows closely on the heels of her tribal-village performance in Peddi alongside Ram Charan. It will be intriguing to see how she is visually reimagined as royalty in Raaka.

It’s very likely that the third character in the movie, played by Mrunal Thakur, will be modern, considering that the other two female actors are playing non-modern parts.

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