NEW DELHI: Two big films are slated to release on 18 December and the actress starring in one of them - Deepika Padukone is not in the least bit fazed at the competition.

Padukone’s film Bajirao Mastani along with co-stars Ranveer Singh and Priyanka Chopra, is directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, which will clash with the Rohit Shetty directed Dilwale starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon at the box office.

“There’s nothing odd about the date of the film clashing with the release of Dilwale. In fact, it is nice that the audience will get to see two films of completely different genres together,” Padukone said.

The actress went on to say that very few roles that she has played have inspired or affected her personally and her character in Bajirao Mastani is one of them. “The credit for this goes to director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is responsible for giving me the role of Mastani,” she said.

Padukone, who addressed a press meet along with Singh, said the songs in Bhansali’s films were films in themselves. “He puts so much of effort in a single song that one is amazed at his energy,” she added. “This has been the most exhausting film that I have ever done.”

However, the actress skirted any questions about the controversy over a song in the film, which has hurt the Maharashtrian community.

Bajirao Mastani is part historical - part fiction film about Peshwa Bajirao and his life.

Praising the director, Singh said Bhansali “knows how to extract the best performances out of his artists.”

“It took me 21 days to get into the character. I have actually worked so hard playing Bajirao. It has been a lifetime experience for me,” he added.