Series of firsts

When shooting for director Rohin Venkatesan’s Theera Kadhal, actor Shivada had several new experiences and memories to cherish. “I have worked with Rohin and Jai in Adhe Kangal, but this was my first film with Aishwarya Rajesh,” recalls Shivada. The first day Aishwarya arrived on set, Shivada noticed how easily she communicated with everyone. “Even though I know her socially, I was wondering how to break the ice. But Aishwarya just came directly to me and started chatting. She has such a pleasant vibe which makes working with her such a pleasure.”

With Jai and Aishwarya around, there was never a dull moment on set, “They both talk nine-to-a-dozen and most of the time they would be pulling my leg during breaks. It was a lot of fun.” Jai made another friend on the sets as well.

“We both shot with child actor Vriddhi Vishal. Apart from acting, she loves dancing. So during breaks, she and Jai would practice and then make reels of their dance. One particular reel they made on Thalapathy Vijay’s song even went viral!”

Shooting with a child actor, director Rohin made sure she was comfortable. “I noticed how he would shoot her scenes first so that she could pack up early. Rohin plans everything perfectly, a trait I have noticed in all three films that I have done with him.”

Being a mom herself in real life, Shivada connected more easily with the child actor, Vriddhi. “I could more easily gauge what she was feeling just by looking at her face. I could make out when she was tired or if she needed anything. I would admire the way she would constantly recite her lines, correct herself, and be eager to do everything perfectly. I never saw her make any fuss on sets and we totally enjoyed the time we spent working with her.”

One day, to shoot a sequence, Shivada had to drive a car, with Vriddhi seated next to her. “The street we shot in, was very near my house. As I slowly drove the car, a neighbour spotted me. He immediately came up and started chatting. But after a moment, he noticed that the child next to me was not mine. When he asked who it was, I explained to him that a film shoot was going on. As realisation dawned on him, he immediately apologised for getting into the frame. Though my neighbours know I’m an actor, this was the first time one of them saw me actually at work.”

Shivada had to travel to Hyderabad to shoot at Ramoji Film Studios. After shooting in a giant railway station set all day, the actor went on to explore the iconic studio grounds. “For the first time, I had an opportunity to see up close, the famed Baahubali sets.  I even visited other sets on the grounds, where iconic movies had been filmed. It was such a unique experience which any film buff like me will surely enjoy.”