Sonam Kapoor trains to play the role of a tabla player in Padman

Akshay Kumar’s upcoming film, Padman has been in the news purely because he is starring in it. But now there is something else that may get the film some more attention. In a first of sorts, it will see a female character play a tabla player. 

We could not think of another leading lady having played the role of a tabla player in a Hindi film. 

The Neerja actress has already started taking lessons in playing the instrument from a young tabla artist, Mukta Madan Raste. According to reports, Kapoor visits the tabla specialist at least once a week and carries a book to practice whenever she gets time. Raste is a top rated tabla player and teacher. 

Confirming the news, Raste told a publication, “Sonam has been learning how to play the tabla from me.”

A source told the publication that Kapoor didn't have to learn the tabla for the shoot, but she chose to. "It is noteworthy that she is learning an instrument for a film when she does not really need to,” said the source. 

Reports also state that Raste herself has a cameo in the film. She plays a sarangi player. 

Padman tells the story of Arunachalam Muruganantham who invented low-cost sanitary napkins for the women of his village. Directed by R Balki and produced by Twinkle Khanna, the film also stars Radhika Apte.