Interview Actor - Gracy Singh HindiSong.com

Movie interview- Gracy Singh

[Gracy singh shares her unique experience with us exclusively on the rough journey of making of a film that has made a distinctive mark in Indian film history.]

"It was a lifetime achievement for me"

I had never seen such an atmosphere in my whole life-the kind of hard work and discipline that was being put in. Even before we went the way they were organizing was mind-blowing. The pre production was so meticulously done-costumes etc. In other films, you meet the co-actors on the set itself but here we met everyone.

When we reached Bhuj we were supposed to start shooting just five days later and before that, we were supposed to check our costumes and get a feel of the sets etc. I was dying to go and get a feel of the set. I remember I was getting ready, I was two minutes later than the stipulated time, and they did not wait for me. The busload of people left me behind! That day changed my whole life. I realized that if they left me behind on a shooting day I'd be in trouble. Later of course even Aamir missed the bus a few times and we didn't wait for him.

I haven't seen such discipline even in hostels. There was a fixed time for meals and you had to eat whether you were hungry or not. But later you'd get food only at 12-o clock- so you learnt to change your entire body clock to function there. The assistant directors were very strict once you reached on the set you immediately got to work- everything was very strict.

I was waiting for Sunday so that we'd get one holiday but Sunday came and it was terrible-we had to keep on rehearsing. I felt why were we rehearsing so much the scenes weren't such hugely difficult ones. I had to do my own color combinations for my costumes and write my own continuity. Even Aamir did that. If you went wrong, you had it. Everyone was doing his own continuity-for clothes, make up jewellery-though there was a special AD for that-.

Saturday nights used to be party time. Everyone had fun but I used to be so tired-the others had so much stamina-I felt it was a boy's film. The strict schedules were not meant for girls. Even when you reached the sets there was more of dust on your face-I used to be very depressed with my look in the film, but thanks to Anil Mehta's photography I at least looked presentable.

But all in all it was a great adventure- the way we lived, walking barefoot the stones and dust all that has taught me a lot I don't think anything could be more difficult than this. Even the weather conditions were so difficult. It used to be very hot in the day then we'd have night schedules and I'd freeze once. I had to hold this torch and it was so cold that after the shot was over and the torch was taken from my hand. I froze in that position- and they had to defreeze me! The make up girl brought hot water etc-my expression froze. I was so sunburnt that I got patches on my face. The men used to be playing cricket bare chested.

By the time the shooting was over, I was completely black. When they started shooting the songs, there was high expectation from me, particularly from my main song Radha kaise na jale. But I was so exhausted from the grueling schedules that it became the most difficult thing I ever did in my life. Ashutosh Gowarikar and Saroj Khan kept improvising all the time. First the steps were from the earlier era and were simple and soft but she kept improvising and I found it so difficult to remember what the director wanted or the choreographer wanted. That was the most difficult thing for me. But when the men shot for the cricket it was so hot that I realized that I had only 10% of the difficulties! By the end of it, so many of us were depressed that it was never ending but the spirit didn't go away-the spirit was always alive. This was kept up due to Aamir-he was always on his toes-with discussions song sittings, AR Rahman came very often. Javed Akhtar visited. Aamir loved to play pranks.

Once we were on this lover's hill it was very difficult to climb there and we had to shoot these two romantic scenes there. It was very difficult because we had to shoot in natural light so we had to wait for the clouds to be there or not there-it was difficult. There were many snakes there and they used to scare me. I was sitting on the hill involved in my scene when a creepy came up behind me I thought it was a snake and screamed so loudly but it was Aamir-and he couldn't stop laughing.

When Javed Akhtar came the first time Aamir went to show him the set saying that Javedsa'ab this was such a beautiful village but they wouldn't let us shoot here-Javedsaab said 'foolish people why wouldn't they let you?" Later Aamir revealed that it was in fact the set of the village they'd put up. And he knew all along. I observed Aamir all the time and was really inspired. He never got tired.

Ashutosh got slip disc but continued shooting from a reclining position. So many people got sick and had to be admitted in hospital Ak Hangal was admitted to hospital, I got viral infection Raghuvir Yadav had to have quite a major operation-many of us got ill. Aamir used to visit everyone in hospital after shooting exactly like family. He was very polite. We took the film there and they loved it-they were all safe. Their houses were a little cracked but there wasn't too much destruction like we heard.

After the release, I started learning dance then we went for these shows. It was a highlight everywhere. There was a massive reaction from the audience. I realized it was nice to be part of a live performance. It has been an achievement of a lifetime for me-my first film will always be the most special for me. I realize that I was extremely shy while I was shooting. I was too new really.

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