Neeraj Pandey has never made a film by the rulebook. And with a daredevil action hero like Akshay Kumar, his upcoming espionage thriller, Baby, was always expected to push the limits. But perhaps even Khiladi Kumar was not ready for the task at hand when the director dragged him and Rana Daggubati all the way to an Abu Dhabi desert.

What followed was a five-day-long shoot in the blistering sand dunes with temperature hovering around 50 degree Celsius. “The conditions were difficult but the segment was critical to the film. It was a tough shoot but the job had to be done and both the actors were at top of their game,“ reasons Neeraj. “Shooting in the heat is one thing and performing stunts in the middle of a desert wearing all black is another. Do I need to say more?“ laughs Rana.“But working with Neeraj was amazing. He's very clear, really quick and has a beautiful way of explaining things to his actors.“

What Neeraj wanted for Baby was hard-hitting but subtle action with a touch of realism. “I didn't want people to go flying in the air. They had to be grounded on the scorching desert sands,“ he chuckles.

Akshay admits that Neeraj has taken action to a different level altogether. “The role was physically demanding and the action was fast paced and real. It is not fancy or melodramatic because the film is about men on a mission,“ he points out. “Hand-on-hand combat, use of high-precision weapons, chases on foot through the busy streets of Istanbul and covert operations in the middle of the Abu Dhabi desert, the film challenged both the body and the mind,“ adds Akshay.