The historical film, Raja Shivaji, featuring actor Disha Pardeshi, had an extraordinarily difficult sequence for the actress. The actress revealed that she was forced to film for a significant portion of time—12 hours—underwater without the use of any artificial intelligence, visual effects or body doubles. Disha described her experience as “both terrifying and adventurous” and said that this sequence pushed her outside of her comfort zone.
Directed by Riteish Deshmukh, Raja Shivaji chronicles Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s life and struggles, and the film has generated great buzz surrounding its magnitude and the realism of its storytelling.
Challenging Underwater Sequences for Disha Pardeshi
Disha portrayed one of Afzal Khan’s wives and had to film a significant death scene in the film that required her character to be choked and thrown into the water. When Disha was cast, she did not know the extent of the underwater filming that would be required.
When interviewed, Disha told the casting director that she did not know how to swim, but after assuring her of her ability to perform the scene, Disha accepted the role without knowing what would be involved in filming that sequence.
The actress disclosed that she had never faced a challenge like an underwater drowning scene previously in acting. In real life, if a person is drowning, their instinct is to swim upward to get air. However, the actress had to portray an unconscious body sinking to the bottom of the pool for the scene.
Intensive Training Before the Shoot
Intensive training sessions were reportedly arranged to prepare the actress for this demanding scene. The production team scheduled special training sessions for her under water in a controlled environment and used a safety crew to train the actress for filming without an oxygen mask.
During her preparation, the team spent hours practicing underwater and teaching her techniques for movement and breath control. The entire shift was around 12 hours, most of which was spent under water, as the actress described.
The actress also shared that the experience was scary initially due to the fear of staying underwater for too long; however, she stated that it provided an opportunity to learn about herself and test her mental and physical strength.
Rain Added to the Difficulty of the shoot
Filming the underwater sequence had its challenges due to the weather. It rained all day on the day of shooting. Pardeshi was filming underwater when it started pouring rain on land, which made it even colder and made her feel even more exhausted as well. However, they finished the sequence anyway and continued to shoot under such harsh conditions.
Pardeshi described it as “scary but an adventure”. She also commented on how much she learned about discipline and acting during this experience.
No Artificial Intelligence, Visual Effects or Stunt Doubles Were Used
The most interesting thing from Pardeshi’s interview was when she told us there are no artificial or digital special effects used in the production of the sequence. At a time when most large productions use digital special effects, computer-generated effects, artificial intelligence to enhance their productions, and body doubles, the producers of Raja Shivaji relied on practical effects as opposed to digital effects for this sequence.
Just prior to filming, Riteish Deshmukh asked Pardeshi if she was willing to jump off of a platform that was about 10-12 feet high into a well. There were body doubles available to perform stunts for her; however, she opted to do the stunt herself.
Supporting her throughout the film by never pushing her into situations that would put her at risk gave actress confidence to work with Deshmukh. She felt secure with him behind the camera, which allowed her to produce the best performance possible.
“Riteish’s production did not make use of any stunt performers, visual effects (VFX), or artificial intelligence (AI) in this scene since we were committed to being real,” she said.
In addition to praising Deshmukh’s directorial skills, she described him as possessing a “hands-on,” supportive style, describing him as being “approachable and down-to-earth.” His confidence helped motivate her to be “more ambitious” as they collaborated to create a challenging scene.
About the Film
The movie Raja Shivaji tells the story of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s life and his dream of creating a kingdom called Swarajya. The movie also has historical content relating to the conflict between Afzal Khan, who is portrayed by Sanjay Dutt.
Raja Shivaji also has a stellar cast, including Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Bhagyashree and Genelia Deshmukh. Salman Khan is also reported to make a special cameo in the movie. Raja Shivaji premiered on May 1st, worldwide, in Marathi, Hindi and Telugu. The movie has received a great deal of attention for its realistic action sequences and outstanding performances.
