Location Diaries: Dog day afternoons

The shoot of director Vijay's Watchman was made memorable for hero GV Prakash, by the experiences he had with a golden retriever, which has a major role in the film. He shot for as many as 20 days with the dog called Bruno. Though he is an animal lover, GV Prakash wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the shoot with Bruno. “Shooting with an animal is unique. Each animal has its own personality that you have to understand first,” he says. “Before shooting with Bruno, I had to get to know him for about three days.”

Yet, the actor was ridden with anxiety on the first day of the shoot. “Bruno had to jump on me and chase me around. They placed a ball on my shoulder (which would get erased in CG later) for Bruno to jump on,” he reveals. “He looked into my eyes and growled a bit. It was my first-ever shot with him, and I was fearful of what was going to happen.”

And it was a shot that had to be taken at least seven times from various angles. “Much like humans, animals too can get unpredictable. Thankfully though, Bruno was quite friendly and well-trained,” he says. “We completed the shoot as planned, and when done, I heaved a big sigh of relief.”

Apparently, Bruno did continue to growl through the shoot. “But I got used to his temperament. So, it didn’t really scare me as much.”