Prithiviraj Sukumaran, who will soon be seen as the antagonist in SS Rajamouli’s Varanasi, has opened up about the filmmaker’s working style. He recalled how, for one scene, he and Mahesh Babu had to give
nearly 100 takes in a single day. He mentioned that he and Mahesh could barely even eat that day, as the director wanted to get his shot.
Prithiviraj Sukumaran said, in a chat with The Hollywood Reporter India, “It’s not an exaggeration. A particular shot in the film, Mahesh and I started shooting it in the morning, and I don’t remember if it was take 94 or 97. I remember Mahesh, and I joked about this. We started in the morning, we came to lunch break, we hadn’t had the shot, and Rajamouli sir said quickly let’s have a break, eat and come.”
He added, “And by the time the second bite of food is in the mouth, he said, the shot is ready. And we went back, we started again. 6:37, and we are still trying, and our executive producer is signalling him (it’s time to wrap). And then he is like okay pack up, we will do this tomorrow morning. It’s actually happened, it’s a real day of shooting in Varanasi.”
In the same conversation, Prithviraj Sukumaran also revealed that there were only 20-minute lunch breaks on the set. He said, “He comes across as one of those young filmmakers who’s finally gotten to make his first film. I have not worked with a harder-working filmmaker than him. Lunch breaks on the set of Varanasi are just about 20 minutes (laughs).”
Prithviraj Sukumaran revealed that Rajamouli is both the first person to arrive on the set and the last to leave. He added that Rajamouli expects his actors to stick to the schedule, and he himself arrives well before the shoot and ensures that everything is perfectly aligned.
For the unversed, the film stars Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran in lead roles and is being mounted on a large scale. It will feature mythological and time travel elements, though much of the plot remains under wraps.
