“Finally we have come to terms “WE ARE FRIENDS” …3 days more with my friends…” tweeted actor Arya on Thursday evening, and posted four photographs from the shooting spot of Kadamban in Chiang Mai, Thailand. They featured elephants, a backdrop of the misty mountains, and Arya having fun with the gentle giants.
The actor has been shooting there for nearly 10 days now. “When director Raghava narrated the storyline, and the fact that we would be shooting with elephants, it was all very interesting, but none of us, including stunt head Dilip Master, knew how to execute it. We just had an idea on paper. We went to Chiang Mai, where we chose 45-50 elephants. The first day of shooting was some sight! We were more scared than excited,” says the actor, who is currently in Bangkok.
Initially, the team shot stock and static shots. Once the pachyderms got used to the humans, the team ventured closer with the cameras.
“Eventually, the elephants felt comfortable enough to avoid hitting the Jimmy Jibs and stopped when someone tripped or fell. It helped that the handlers there taught us how to get close to the elephants. I would feed them, stand next to them. Finally, I could even stand on their tusks and do a flip. Now, if I sit on its tusks, the elephant carries me up. It’s fun,” says the actor.
The team will be shooting there for another three days before heading back. “The backdrop is very new; it’s a forest-based film.”
The actor has also been working on his physique for about 14 months now. “The script demanded it. It was an opportunity for me to showcase this kind of body in a film where it was necessary and went with the script. I’m satisfied with what I’ve managed,” says Arya.
The actor, who’s got a whole lot of his followers on social media to take to fitness, now looks forward to taking a break from the rigorous routine. “Fitness is fine, but body building is difficult. You need to be on a constant diet… it can get to you.”
