The shooting of the film has been going on in full swing. However recently we have heard six-time National award-winning filmmaker Jayaraj has roped in four renowned Hollywood technicians for his hindi remake. Action choreographer Allan Poppleton of Hunger Games, Avatar and Lord of the Rings fame, Oscar-winning make-up artist Trefor Proud, composer Jeff Rona (Phantom) and colourist Jeff Olm (Monsters vs Aliens, Titanic and Spiderman) are now a part of the project!
Director Jayaraj explained, `Allan spent two months at various Kalaripayattu centres to understand its nuances. He researched under the guidance of teachers like Siva Kumar Gurukkal of CVN Kalari in Kollam and incorporated his own styles to fit the camera angles` Jayaraj further added that he wanted to strike a chord between the art form's traditional essence and its contemporary representation. `The idea was to sharpen the storytelling as well as capture the audience's interest by bringing a western perspective on board.`
As far as make-up artiste Trefor's preparation was concerned it included extensive research spanning over several months. `The costumes represent the ones worn by warriors in the 13th century South India. They would also use body paint and colourful tattoos to look more ferocious. Incidentally, the colours bear a striking resemblance to the ones incorporated in many dance forms in Kerala, including Kathakali,` Jayaraj explains.
All the extensive research and preparation has been undertaken to give the film as much an authentic feel as it requires. From the look of the movie to even the music and background tracks have been composed keeping the South Indian element in mind. The film's soundtrack is a combination of traditional Maratha folk music with some new indo-western components.
Kunal Kapoor too has worked hard for the high on adrenaline action sequences. Kunal was accompanied by a personal trainer throughout the shoot. Kunal's character of a warrior required him to be agile and flexible to shoot the Kalari sequences. However the actor also required to build muscle to look the part of a ferocious and majestic warrior. It took months of training and discipline for Kunal and Jayaraj to get everything perfect for the film.
