When shooting for the Siddharth-starrer Takkar, actor Divyansha Kaushik had to travel to several places. From shooting in the sweltering heat of Chennai to the cold hilly regions of Sikkim, Divyansha had a variety of new experiences.
“For a particular scene, we had to shoot outdoors in Chennai. It was sometime in May or June at the peak of summer. We were shooting when the sun was high up and the heat was punishing. Siddharth and I had to face the sun in the scene. Due to the strong sunlight, it was impossible for us to keep our eyes open. I tried to close my eyes beforehand and only open them for the take, but it didn’t work,” says Divyansha.
It was then that Siddharth gave her a piece of advice which helped. “He told me to look up towards the sun with my eyes closed, till an orange, reddish light appeared. He said that this would make my eyes accustomed to the sunlight. I followed his advice, and when I opened my eyes for the take, the shot went off smoothly. It was a great hack that I will follow whenever I shoot in the sun from now on.”
For one scene, shot at a star hotel, Divyansha had to be slapped by one of her co-actors. She recollects, “The camera was hidden and as we were shooting, some hotel guests who were foreigners, who saw me being slapped, came up to intervene. They objected strongly with utmost concern as they thought it was real. It was only when we explained it was for a film that they were relieved.”
Travelling to Sikkim for the first time, for another part of the shoot, Divyansha had several unforgettable experiences. “We were a small crew, travelling all over Sikkim by road. The weather was unpredictable and very cold. For my intro song, I had to wear a T-shirt and shorts and dance next to a glacier. It was probably minus 4 degrees. So before the shot, I did several jumping jack exercises to keep myself warm during the shoot.” But dancing under a cold waterfall for another shot, she fell ill with the flu. The unit also had a narrow escape from disaster.
“One day, it started raining heavily. Being at a high altitude, we decided to pack up and leave instantly. We all got into our cars and as my vehicle started moving, I heard the loudest, nerve-shattering sound, as if thunder had struck us from behind. Right behind my director’s car, we saw a massive rock, followed by many more, which had come crashing down the mountain. We all had a very narrow escape from a huge landslide.”
But despite it all, Divyansha maintains that she loved the whole Sikkim experience for a variety of reasons. “We interacted with a lot of local people, as we travelled across the countryside by car, shooting at random places on the outskirts. We stayed at local homestays and ate local food at small dhabas. The way the people served us a variety of their cuisine, with so much love, was something I’ll always cherish. It was a very spiritual experience for me as well, as we visited several monasteries. I felt such positive vibes all through our stay in Sikkim,” Diyansha is positive that she will return to Sikkim very soon.