Location Diaries: Party time

This column space has generally had actors talking about their struggles while shooting. But actor Sanchita Shetty says the shoot of the Venkat Prabhu film, Party, was very much like its title. “All my friends were quite excited to learn I was heading to Fiji Islands to shoot for the film. I understood why only when I landed there,” she says. “I’ve always taken to water, and it’s probably the most fun I’ve had shooting for a film. I can’t think of even one trying siuation during the shoot!” Apparently, the unit spent around 70 days on the island. Also, given that the script required extensive shooting during the night, she was free to explore the resort and island they were staying in. From snorkelling to scuba diving and mud pool baths, Sanchita says she had a ball.

“If I could be said to have had any difficulty at all, it was with the food,” she says. “The vegetarian options were really limited, and I was craving for some variety during the 70 days at Fiji.” She says that after a few days, she took matters in her hands and began cooking for herself. “Shiva (co-star in the film) also sampled some of the Kannada food I cooked. Ramya Krishnan also joined in, and made some delicious Tamil food for us,” she smiles.

The long nights of work, which should have been a struggle, weren’t, thanks to the encouragement of the cast and crew, she says. “Even senior actors like Nasser, Jairam, Sathyaraj and Ramya Krishnan mingled so informally with us and shared their work experiences,” she says. The problem was one of excess enjoyment. “Every time we would go for a take, someone would end up giggling uncontrollably at the funny dialogues. This meant more takes, but it also made the shoot so much fun.”