Showing posts with label Argentina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Argentina. Show all posts
Vikrant Massey underwent 5 hours of prosthetics daily to become Sri Sri Ravi Shankar-Montoo Bassi
10:29 AM
Akash Bhatnagar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 31, 2026)
Actor Vikrant Massey is gearing up for his first international project, White, in which he portrays spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Set against the backdrop of the 2015-16 Colombian peace process, where the spiritual leader performed the role of a mediator, the film required the actor to undergo extensive preparation and prosthetics for the role, director Montoo Bassi reveals.
“He is supremely talented. He’s been known for playing meaningful characters on screen and this is one of those. It was challenging, but he gave it his 100%. When it comes to the makeover and his transformation, he gave five hours of prosthetics and then 12 hours of shoot daily,” Montoo says.
The director adds that the film features a global cast and extensive international production. “We shot in Latin America and I was fortunate to get the best talent from Bolivia, Panama, Colombia, France, Argentina, and India. It was a great experience” Montoo says.
He also highlights the linguistic challenges involved: “The film is in Spanish and English, with the Spanish characters speaking their language. I myself had to prepare a lot to understand Spanish to be able to direct actors in their own language. I did not want it to be like an outsider’s view. It took almost five to six years for this film to be made because of the language barrier.”
Khatron Ke Khiladi showrunner Malaya Pradhan decodes the khel behind the khatra
8:19 AM
With the 13th edition of the action reality show hitting the right note, we go behind the scenes with showrunner to understand the execution and challenges of Khatron Ke Khiladi
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; August 15, 2023)
What is life without a little danger, especially if you are paid a million bucks for it? That’s what the makers of Khatron Ke Khiladi will tell you. Kicking off in India in 2008, the reality show, over its subsequent seasons, has shown us the varied forms of daredevilry—from being tied underwater on a wheel in season 9 to lying under a moving train in season 10.
In July, the 13th season kicked off with contestants Daisy Shah, Shiv Thakare, and Arjit Taneja, among others. But what does it exactly take to create a show like this? It’s with this question that we sit down with Malaya Pradhan, Project Head, Fear Factor. “The planning has many components, location being the most critical one and the feasibility of doing the show in that locale,” says the showrunner.
It’s all about the location
Undeniably, stunts are the most important part of an adventure reality show. But they largely depend on the show’s location. Which is why, Pradhan says, the design team begins scouting for destinations almost a year in advance. “In 2017, when we did the Spain edition, [my team] landed in the country in June 2016, and then again in February 2017, before the host and contestants came down in May,” he recollects.
While doing recce, three things are taken into account—camera angles, possibility of stunts in the location, and finally, the animals that the region acts as a habitat to. “Any location has to look great on camera, even if it is to capture the sunset. Since we are investing so much money and effort into the show, it is important to capture locations that the country is known for. The next thing we look at is if at least 30 to 40 stunts can be pulled off there. For example, we see if there are two buildings of the same height and whether a stunt can be arranged between them. Or whether there is a water body and whether a helicopter can be flown over it. We also have to check if the lakes are deep enough so that if someone falls into it, they don’t hit the bottom.”
When it comes to wildlife, different regions satisfy different criteria. While lions are easily available in South Africa, tigers and bears have a dense population in Spain. “At any point, we have to make sure at least 150 types of snakes can be used. So, we check whether the location can provide that. A lot of paperwork goes behind everything we do.”
One also has to consider whether the locales chosen can accommodate the huge shooting team. At any given time, the location has to accommodate at least 200 people. “Production logistics is key. We may find a beautiful location, but if there is no place to park at least 150 vehicles for the production, artistes, hosts and the cranes, it cannot be used,” he explains, adding that they take multiple trips before zeroing in on a destination.
Setting done, stunts shuru
After finalizing the location, the design team addresses the heart of the show—the stunts. Pradhan says all stunts can be broken down into four broad categories—height, water, speed, and reaction. “Height could be [a stunt from the top of a] building or in a chopper. [We sometimes intersect it] with water, wherein you have a contestant on a rig jump into water. Water stunts include anything from [going] underwater or performing a task in a swimming pool. Speed stunts involve cars or long container trucks. The reaction stunts vary from animals to shock. This season, we did about 84 stunts with a forest theme at the opening.”
The execution
Putting together close to 80 stunts every season is not a cake walk. Season on season, the Indian team has been working with either the Argentinian or South African stunt teams. While Pradhan’s team designs and ideates the stunts, the foreign counterpart is trusted with gauging their executability and ensuring the contestants’ safety.
“For instance, this year, we decided against introducing contestants one by one. We decided to have the contestants holding on to a reverse balloon structure under the chopper. The South African team executed it. They determined what is the maximum weight the chopper can carry, what will be the structure, what material it will be made of, and so on. They took every individual’s weight into account before building the structure under the chopper,” shares Pradhan.
Surprises and setbacks
In a show of this nature, there are bound to be surprises. Pradhan emphasizes that the key is to be thoroughly prepared. So, what is the biggest challenge? The weather, he says promptly. Summer in Europe is the best time to shoot because there is no wind or rain.
“In 2018, the weather was a huge issue in Argentina [during season 9]. It was extremely cold. When you are doing a height stunt [involving] a rig that is 25 storeys above the ground and one has to walk on a table plate [disc shaped things], which is placed on a ladder or from one building to the other, the wind plays a huge role. In such a scenario, we have to wait for the wind to subside or cancel the stunt. Similarly, once we had planned a chopper stunt. But because of [gusty] winds, we didn’t get the permission from local weather traffic control to take off.”
Weather isn’t the only spoilsport. Sometimes, the team has had to cancel stunts involving animals. “In Bulgaria, in season 10, we had to push a stunt because the ostriches [were running amok]. Likewise, in Spain [in season 8], the animal handler told us to wait for the lions to calm down before shooting with them. We don’t take safety lightly.”
The team keeps back-up stunt designs ready in such situations. Present on location are the safety team, medical team, local production, the Indian production, technical, directors, creative and commercial team.
KKK’s scariest
Chopper stunt (season 11)
Pecked by hen (season 11)
Rotating wheel underwater (season 9)
Under moving train (season 10)
Fire cycle (season 9)
Battling with ostriches (season 11)
Wax on body (season 10)
Tear gas chamber (season 10)
Breathless in vacuum (season 9)
Malaya Pradhan
"What a match, absolutely amazing" Raveena Tandon ecstatic about attending FIFA finals
8:02 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 20, 2022)
As he sent the ball flying past the goal line, Argentinian right-back Gonzalo Montiel, with his historic, World Cup-clinching penalty, sent the whole world into delirium. For those present at the gilded Lusail Stadium in Doha — like actor Raveena Tandon — the excitement was something else.
“The atmosphere here was so electric... It is a vibe! People were laughing, crying, dancing. And all that happened especially when France scored those two goals back-to-back,” she told us moments later, the thrill palpable in her voice.
The 48-year-old was in Qatar to attend the FIFA World Cup 2022 with son Ranbir. Her good friend, filmmaker Farah Khan Kunder was there with son Czar, too, apart from a host of other celebs, including actors Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan. “I bumped into a lot of friends from all over. But Farah and I rightly get the ‘mothers of the year award’, as we went solely for our sons and to see them happy and excited. That is all what we wanted,” she laughed.
Joy, heartbreak and madness — Tandon witnessed it all at the game, like when Argentinian fans cried after France scored those two game-changing goals, to equalise in the final minutes of the second half. “What a fight, man! Mbappe, he scored thrice for France, and it was pretty awesome. France really fought well, but the stadium was full of Argentinians. They were the hot favourites. Messi scoring a goal was what most people were waiting for, and that happened right at the start. What a match, absolutely amazing,” she exclaimed.
Image: Argentinian opens a Salman Khan themed restaurant
7:48 AM
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 2, 2019)
It’s another day, another demographic in the Salman Khan fandom. In 2012, a café that the actor frequented while shooting Ek Tha Tiger in Cuba was named after him. Seven years later, Bhai finds another namesake in the F&B industry. Taking off from one of the actor’s successful franchises, a die-hard fan has opened a theme restaurant named Gran Dabangg (Great Dabangg) in Argentina. The interior of the establishment is decorated with posters from Salman’s most popular films, including his look as Chulbul Pandey.
Indian national Puneet Nagi, who visited the eatery that specialises in Argentine and South Asian cuisines while on vacation in Argentina, told Mirror, “It’s not just the name and décor, but the food is amazing. It is so popular that we had to wait outside for an hour-and-a-half to get a table on a weekday.”
Shamita Shetty calls in sick during the Argentina shoot of Khatron Ke Khiladi?
8:02 AM
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 25, 2018)
Last week, Shamita Shetty left for Argentina with the team of Khatron Ke Khiladi and co-contestants Avika Gor, Bharti Singh, Harsh Limbachiyaa, Vikas Gupta and Aly Goni, among others, to kick off shooting for the show’s upcoming season. However, the team had to start work without the actress after she refused to shoot on account of ill health.
A source from the sets reveals, “The first few episodes have been shot but Shamita hasn’t performed tasks as she is unwell. The team started shooting last Wednesday where contestants had a height task and another stunt in a box filled with bees. Meanwhile, Shamita has been recuperating. A decision is yet to be taken if she will continue with the show or return to India.”
When Mirror contacted the actress, she chose not to respond. During the shooting, co-contestant Aditya Narayan injured his hand recently while performing a task while Vikas Gupta also reportedly got hurt. The show is scheduled to be shot over a 40-day schedule.
Shamita had previously participated in another reality show, Bigg Boss 3, in 2009, but had to pull out mid-way to be a part of sister Shilpa Shetty’s wedding with Raj Kundra.
Jay Bhanushali & Mahhi Vij had a yelling match at their hotel room in Argentina?
7:49 AM
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; November 24, 2015)
Arjun Kapoor-hosted reality show in Argentina seems to be creating more buzz due to the antics of contestants than their adventurous pursuits. If sources are to be believed, telly couple Mahhi Vij and Jay Bhanushali, who are taking part in Fear Factor – Khatron Ke Khiladi, had an ugly spat in their Buenos Aires hotel room. Reason? Jay’s alleged growing closeness to another participant, model-turned-actress Parvathy Omanakuttan.
Sources state that Mahhi then apparently asked to be put up in a separate room. “She felt that her husband was getting too friendly with Parvathy and confronted him. That escalated into an expletive-laden exchange between the couple. Later, when Mahhi was asked why she wanted another room, she was overheard telling co-contestants about how Jay had behaved with her,” reveals a unit hand.
Jay and Mahhi had a hushhush wedding in 2011, but made it public only a year later. Two years later, there were reports about trouble in their paradise, but in early 2014, they put speculation to rest by exchanging wedding vows yet again while holidaying in Las Vegas. However, post that, there has been intermittent buzz about strained relations due to Mahi’s apparent possessive nature.
Mahhi remained unavailable for comment.
Rohit Shetty taking diction classes for his role as host for Fear Factor
12:01 PM
Mehul S Thakkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 30, 2014)
A diction
coach is a must-have accessory for stars these days but rarely does a
director employ one and Rohit Shetty is among those rare names.
The
director is gearing up to host the TV reality show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi and his preparations include diction classes to polish his Hindi.
The
filmmaker has roped in diction coach Vidhur Chaturvedi for the task and
he will take classes for a month before flying to Argentina to shoot the
show.
A source told Mirror, “As a host, Rohit wants to ensure
that he is perfect in every department. Though he doesn’t have any
problems speaking Hindi, he wants to get his diction right. Vidhur
taught Katrina Kaif how to speak Hindi in Raajneeti, so he is the right
guy for the task."
The
source added that Vidhur’s primary responsibility is to ensure that
Rohit pronounces even the most twisted words in a seamless manner. "The
director is also having multiple meetings with the channel to design the
stunts in the show?" adds the source.
When contacted Vidhur confirmed the news, saying, “Yes, it’s true that I will be giving diction training to Rohit.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)