PeepingMoon.com was the first one to inform you that Deepika Padukone has finally given her nod to Raazi director Meghna Gulzar’s next project on acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal. Meanwhile, speculations were rife that the actress will be bankrolling the film under her production house, which she aims to launch soon. Now Deepika, who has been away from the silver screen after Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat, has finally confirmed that she will be producing and starring in Meghna's directorial.

Asserting that she feels very strongly about the subject, Deepika revealed to a leading daily, "When I heard this story, I was deeply moved as it’s not just one of violence but of strength and courage, hope and victory. It made such an impact on me, that personally and creatively, I needed to go beyond and so the decision to turn producer."

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For the unversed, Laxmi, who is now 29, survived a horrific acid attack in New Delhi in 2005 when she was attacked by a man whose proposal she had rejected.

Terming Laxmi's story as one of an unquashable human spirit, Meghna opened up on the project as well and said, "Using Laxmi’s story as a lens, we are attempting to explore these aspects and the consequences of acid-related violence in our society. This’s what makes this must-told story relevant. Awareness is the first step towards change."

When asked why she chose Deepika to play Laxmi, the filmmaker pointed out that she was instinctively convinced that Deepika would do justice to the character and the story. "When you take a face as beautiful as hers and portray her as an acid attack survivor, the magnitude of the violence and damage is that much more resounding," she added. On the other hand, Deepika claimed that she has been "greatly impacted" by Meghna’s work and is looking forward to the project.

Well, we certainly cannot wait to witness how the collaboration between the two women turns out to be.