For debutant Monal Gajjar, Sigaram Thodu (ST) is going to be a memorable movie, for more reasons than one. Apart from the fact that she got to work with SivajiGanesan’s grandson Vikram Prabhu, Monal had a few hair-raising moments while shooting. In a chat with CE, the actor recalls it all.
“In ST, directed by Gaurav, I play a doctor, whose father is a police inspector who doesn’t find time to spend with his daughter. And because of this, I become someone who detests cops. But due to a twist of fate, a cop, played by Vikram Prabhu, enters my life. My first impression of him is quite bad. But how we fall in love and the problems we face thereafter is the story,” says Monal.
She had a 10-day shoot in the scenic Himalayan valleys and Haridwar. “I love the Pidichirikku number that we shot in the Himalayas. Vijay Ulaganath’s camera has framed the mountains and valleys beautifully. But it wasn’t easy at all. We had to walk for around four kilometres uphill to an area that’s not motorable. We also had to encounter strong winds at that height,” she says.
Monal had a particularly tough time. “I had to wave five-metre-long wings made of cloth, but the winds kept blowing them away! Later, I had to wave a long pallu in the air while running downhill near a cliff edge. Besides that, many parts of the song are shot near dangerously deep valleys with just a tree branch for support. I called my mom and sister, and said ‘I love you’ to them, in case I didn’t come back!” she says with a laugh.
She recounts a hair-raising incident that happened in Haridwar. “I was happy to shoot the Ganga aarthi scene. After shoot, I used to go and take a dip in the holy Ganges in the ghats. But one day, the unit arranged for me to visit the VIP ghats. This section has a chain that you can hold onto for support while taking a dip. The minute I stepped in, the currents got me and turned me upside down in the water! I held onto the chain and managed to haul myself up to the banks. It’s a moment I’ll never forget!” she says.