Raavan screening resumes in Sri Lanka

The screening of Mani Ratnam's Raavan has resumed in eastern Sri Lanka despite threats by an unidentified group demanding the boycott of the bilingual film, starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.

A cinema hall planning to screen Raavan was torched last week by the group, which is protesting Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya and director Ratnam's decision to stay away from the IIFA awards held in Colombo after South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce called for a boycott of the event.

But the National Film Corporation here said theatres in Batticaloa resumed screening Raavan despite the warning by the group, which has asked the theatre owners not to screen films produced in Tamil Nadu in a move to hit back at Indian film stars who boycotted the IIFA awards ceremony in Colombo.

The show was stopped after a giant screen at the Shanthi Cinema in Batticaloa was torched a day before the Tamil version of Raavan was to be shown.

The group had sent hand bills to cinema owners, saying that the boycott of the IIFA event by Indian artistes had brought disrepute to Sri Lanka and therefore retaliation was just and appropriate.

However, a film corporation official said necessary precautions have been taken to prevent a repetition of such incidents, the Daily Mirror reported today.

"The group, which threatened the cinema owners in Batticaloa, has been arrested after we intervened in the matter," the Film Corporation official said.

"When the incident occurred, I informed the Kathankudi police (in Batticaloa) and Film Corporation about what happened," the manager Kandasamy Murugesu said.

Amitabh Bachchan, son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya, had given the glitzy event a miss, citing work commitments. The Bachchan family's decision to skip the event had raised many eyebrows as the mega star is the ambassador for IIFA.

The event was boycotted by the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce as a mark of protest against the alleged mistreatment of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

The film industry in the state of Tamil Nadu, which shares close cultural and religious links with the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka, stayed away from the event with superstars Kamal Haasan, Rajnikanth and Ratnam also giving it a miss.

Did Abhishek lie about ‘Raavan’ dive?

A former diving champion claims that he, not the star, performed the dangerous stunt

The ‘Raavan’ controversies keep coming. First, Amitabh Bachchan criticised the editing in the movie, blaming it for Abhishek’s inconsistent performance. And now there’s talk that one of the daredevil stunts in the movie that Abhishek said he performed, was in fact done by someone else.

It seems that M S Balram, a former national diving champion, has claimed that the fantastic diving off a cliff scene in ‘Raavan’ was performed by him and not Abhishek. The scene starts off the movie, and was also highlighted in the promos. Besides, Abhishek spoke in many interviews about how he did the scene even though the movie’s insurers refused to cover him, the star, doing such a dangerous stunt.

Balram said that he had a lot of respect for Abhishek Bachchan and Mani Ratnam, and that he did not want to create a controversy but that he was proud of the stunt he did.

Team ‘Raavan’, including Abhishek Bachchan and Mani Ratnam, have not responded to Balram’s claim as yet.

Ramu jokes about ‘Raavan’

Calls it ‘Mani Ki Aag’; plus what the director had to say about SRK’s ‘Ra.One’

Ram Gopal Varma might have been behind the disastrous remake of ‘Sholay’ (We’re all trying to forget ‘Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag’). But RGV does have a sense of humour about it all.

He posted on his Twitter page soon after the release of Mani Ratnam’s ‘Raavan’, “I hv 2 bear with my flops and then also wth everyones flops becos whenevr whoevers flop cmes they invariably compare it wth Aag. For Tashan they said its Aditya ki Aag. For Chandni Chowk they said Akshay Ki Aag. For Kites they said Hrithik Ki Aag and now its Mani Ki Aag.”

He added later, “Well am happy that if not for anything else I at least set a bench mark for flops :)”

Of course, Ramu wasn’t done with the digs. He posted today (June 21), “I want to remake Raavan and I want to request Mani to remake Aag.”

Then, he referenced Karan Johar with whom he’d had a war of words earlier, by bringing up ‘My Name Is Khan’ and ‘Kurbaan’. Ramu wrote, “I got a better idea.. I will make My Name is Raavan and Mani should make Raavan ki Kurbaan."

And then it was Shah Rukh’s turn to face Ramu's friendly fire. He posted, “Let's all hope and pray that Ra.1 does not become SRK ki AAG.”

A sort of dig at SRK? Could Karan Johar take this lying down? Not at all! So Kjo responded to that on his Twitter page with, “You have an amazing sense of humour ramu!! Never shows up in your films though....”

Ouch! Is the war of words still on between the two directors? Well, Ramu laughed off KJo’s comment, saying, “Ha ha Karan becos of the constant bashing I receive I developed my sense of humour as a defense mechanism. And talking of my films not having humour check out ths great comedy I made cald Rgv ki Aag.”

Well said, Ramu, and we’re glad to see your sense of humour stay fiery!

Raavanan faces protests in Sri Lanka, theatre torched

A cinema hall planning to screen Raavanan was torched here amidst protests against the film owing to its star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and director Mani Ratnam's decision to stay away from the IIFA awards held in Sri Lanka.

An unidentified group in Eastern Sri Lanka has called on theatre owners in the country to boycott Tamil movies and the bi-lingual film, starring Abhishek Bachchan in the Hindi version and Vikran in Tamil, is the first victim.

The group had sent hand bills to cinema owners, saying that the boycott of the IIFA event by Indian artistes had brought disrepute to Sri Lanka and therefore retaliation was just and appropriate.

On Thursday, a day before the release of Raavanan, Shanthi cinema in Eastern Batticaloa, which was planning to screen the much hyped film was torched.

The hall's manager Kandasamy Murugesu said that three people came to his theatre on Monday and told him he should not screen films from Tamil Nadu.

"I informed the Kattankudi police and three days later there was an arson attack," 'The Sunday Times' quoted him as saying.

The manager said he would not bow to this threat and would screen films produced in Tamil Nadu and asked for police protection.

Amitabh Bachchan, son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya, had given the glitzy event a miss, citing work commitments.

The Bachchan family's decision to skip the event raised many eyebrows as megastar Amitabh Bachchan is the ambassador for IIFA.

The celebration was boycotted by the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce as a mark of protest against the alleged mistreatment of Tamils in the country.

The film industry in the state of Tamil Nadu, which shares close cultural and religious links with the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka, stayed away from the event with superstars Kamal Haasan, Rajnikanth also giving it a miss.

B.O. update: 'Raavan' has below the mark opening, reports disappointing

The much-anticipated RAAVAN did not fetch the desired start on Friday. While certain big city plexes opened to a 50% to 60% to 70% response, the response at smaller centre plexes and also single screens was much lower, in 20% to 25% to 30% range. Even in Mumbai, which contributes heavily from multiplexes, the occupancy was extremely erratic. In the recent past, films like HOUSE FULL, BADMAASH COMPANY, KITES and RAAJNEETI had opened to a terrific start and the industry was expecting a similar start for RAAVAN. But the reports of RAAVAN -- the audience feedback specifically -- is extremely mixed, tilting towards negative.

RAAVAN has had an extensive release in the Hindi version and therefore, the Friday numbers might be better due to this reason, but the fact remains that the opening day business is below expectations. Now let's see how Saturday and Sunday fares!

Movie Review: Raavan

It's time for the modern-day version of 'Ramayana' to unfold this Friday, exactly two weeks after 'Mahabharata'. The very thought of watching an epic in the present-day milieu only enhances the curiosity for the film. And if the present-day adaptation of 'Ramayana' is helmed by a master storyteller [Mani Ratnam], the moviegoer should, and must expect the moon. Nothing less would suffice. After all, a Mani Ratnam film is not merely an experience, it's an event!

Mani Ratnam, who has penned the screenplay of RAAVAN, models his characters on the lines of 'Ramayana':

• An upright cop, the punisher, the law/Lord Rama [Vikram];
• His doting wife/Goddess Sita [Aishwarya Rai Bachchan];
• The lieutenant he befriends in the forest/Hanuman [Govinda];
• His confidante/Lakshmana [Nikhil Dwivedi];
• The antagonist's sister, who triggers off the war/Surpanakha [Priyamani]
• And, of course, the antagonist, the Robinhood turned Raavan who kidnaps the top cop's wife and keeps her in his custody, in his Lanka/Raavan [Abhishek Bachchan].

Mani Ratnam has also included the part where Goddess Sita was banished from the kingdom of Ayodhya due to the gossip of kingdom folk. It was agni pariksha then, but in the film, the husband [Vikram] asks the wife [Aishwarya] for a polygraph test to prove her chastity/fidelity. At the same time, RAAVAN brings back memories of a movie that, coincidentally, had a similar storyline -- JUNGLE [Ramgopal Varma].

You've come to expect scintillating visuals in the master film-maker's films and RAAVAN is no exception. But RAAVAN falters in narrating the story with dexterity. In fact, this one's a game of see-saw, with a dull and lifeless first hour, an absorbing second half and a weak, lacklustre climax.

Final word? RAAVAN comes with the baggage of humungous expectations, mainly for the one name attached to it: Mani Ratnam. Even though comparisons with the genius film-maker's earlier accomplishments like MOUNA RAAGAM, NAYAGAN, AGNI NAKSHATRAM, GEETHANJALI, ANJALI, ROJA, BOMBAY and GURU are sacrilegious since all belong to diverse genres, RAAVAN is nowhere close to those epics. The benchmarks only get higher and higher every time Mani Ratnam makes a film and RAAVAN, unfortunately, is a step down. Sorry, several steps down!

Dev [Vikram] falls in love with Ragini [Aishwarya Rai Bachchan], a spunky classical dancer who is as unconventional as him. They get married and he takes up his new post in Lal Maati, a small town in northern India. A town where the world of law is not the police, but Beera [Abhishek Bachchan], a tribal who has, over the years, shifted the power equation of the place from the ruling to the have-nots of the area.

Dev knows that the key to bringing order to any place is not to vanquish the big fish; in this case -- Beera. In one stroke Dev manages to rip open Beera's world and set in motion a change of event which will claim lives. Beera, injured but enraged, hits back, starting a battle that draws Dev, Beera and Ragini into the jungle. The forest becomes the battleground. The battle between good and evil, between Dev and Beera, between Ram and Raavan.

Mani Ratnam's adaptation of 'Ramayana' begins with the wife getting kidnapped and her husband launching a massive hunt to track down his wife and nail Raavan aka Beera. The reason why Beera takes this extreme step is revealed much, much later, towards the post-interval portions, which means that Mani Ratnam follows the nonlinear pattern to narrate his story.

Let's talk about the factors that pull this film down. First and foremost, when you've a title like RAAVAN, the demon king, who couldn't be vanquished by Gods, demons or spirits, you expect Raavan aka Beera to be equally powerful, who could send a chill down your spine, who spells terror and fear. But, in RAAVAN, Beera comes across as a psycho. The streak of madness in his character makes a mockery of the character itself.

Also, his makeup and also the shabby avtaars of his family/henchmen is not something that makes them looks menacing. In fact, it makes the entire gang look repulsive.

Even the finale leaves a lot to be desired. Ideally, the film should've ended after the fight on the bridge, but the entire track thereafter seems like an add-on, which is forced into the screenplay. Ash having a change of heart for Abhishek is equally unpalatable and makes you wonder, how and when did she develop such strong feelings/emotions for Beera? The writing is flawed, no two opinions on that!

On the plus side, the track, which starts from Nikhil's kidnap to the entire flashback portion, is attention grabbing. The factors that prompt Beera to spell havoc in Dev's life are apt, although Beera's sister's portions, while narrating the atrocities committed on her, aren't easy to comprehend in entirety. What was she trying to say, frankly? Yet, the impact of the flashback portions is worth noting.

The fight on the bridge -- between Abhishek and Vikram -- is astounding. One hasn't watched something like this on the Hindi screen yet, I'm sure. In fact, the execution of each and every stunt [Shyam Kaushal, Peter Hein] is exceptional. Every Mani Ratnam film is embellished with stunning visuals and RAAVAN boasts of mind-boggling visuals as well. Shooting the film at tough locales isn't easy and Santosh Sivan and V. Manikandan's vision creates magic on screen. Every frame is worth admiring and applauding.

A.R. Rahman's music is excellent and the visual appeal only enhances the impact. I'd like to single out 'Behne De' and 'Thok De Killi', two tracks that I'd like to hum even after the show has concluded. In fact, the latter is very energetic in terms of choreography. Vijay Krishna Acharya's dialogue hit you like a sharp object at times, which is in sync with the mood of the film.

I've admired Abhishek's work in Mani Ratnam's earlier films YUVA and GURU, but despite putting his best foot forward, for some strange, inexplicable reason, Abhishek doesn't look convincing for the part. Also, the dialogue delivered by him aren't coherent at times. Aishwarya is wonderful, looking ethereal and enacting her part with conviction. Vikram is first-rate, although the role isn't substantial enough. Govinda fails to create any impact whatsoever. Amongst the plethora of actors, Nikhil Dwivedi [a revelation; very good], Ravi Kishan [nice] and Priyamani [perfect] stand out.

On the whole, RAAVAN is a king-sized disappointment, in terms of content. From the business point of view, a Mani Ratnam film might ensure a healthy opening [at plexes mainly], but the weak script on one hand and the heavy price tag on the other will make RAAVAN see red.

RATING: 1.5/5

'Raavan' London Premiere - Photos

"I still don't know how to make a film"

He has been making movies for almost three decades and is known as a maverick. But Mani Ratnam says every time he starts working on a new film, he has to struggle to find the right way to can the shots.

"In every film, I go back to square one. When I did my first film, I didn't have formal training, I didn't work under any director. I really didn't know how to make a film," the self-effacing Ratnam, who is gearing up for the release of his multilingual movie 'Raavan' on June 18 said.

"So I thought, if I make two-three films, I will become an expert and be able to walk through anything. But after 20-odd films, I still don't know how to shoot a film. I still struggle, but the most enjoyable part is not knowing and trying to find something," said the 54-year-old who started his career with the Kannada film 'Pallavi Anu Pallavi' starring Anil Kapoor in 1983.

His body of work includes landmark Tamil movies like 'Mouna Raagam' (1986), 'Nayagan' (1987), 'Anjali' (1990) and 'Dalapathi' (1991); critically acclaimed Hindi movies 'Yuva' (2004) and 'Guru' (2007) and his trilogy on terrorism - 'Roja' (1992), 'Bombay'(1995) and 'Dil Se' (1998).

Though he earned rave reviews for his movies, the director never revisits his past work.

"I don't watch my old films like 'Roja', 'Dil Se' because I only see mistakes. I see five minutes of the film and I am scared I will start finding mistakes in them."

For the thriller 'Raavan', he has teamed up again with Abhishek after 'Yuva' and 'Guru' and says the young actor is growing amazingly.

"Every time I worked with him, he had drastically different characters and each time he delivered. He is tremendous to work with. Abhishek is growing with every film. He is growing by leaps and bounds," said the director who dared to give Abhsihek a negative role in 'Yuva' that took the actor's career to new heights.

"I can only talk about him since 'Yuva' when I first interacted with him. Even then I did not do something very drastic, we just made him play the character without worrying about anything. In this film his character is much larger than life - it needed a bigger portrayal, flamboyance. He has been able to do it much convincingly."

How difficult was it to shoot the film simultaneously in two languages?

"It's difficult, you know. It's a huge task. When I am making a film, it's very instinctive, it's not preset. I have to bring the actors there, stage it together, make it comfortable, make it work and then decide how to shoot it. I go a lot by instinct.

"But when you are doing a film in two languages, you can't go totally by the instinct because once you have finished the shot, you can't move on to the next. You have to do the same thing in the other language."

The film has been shot simultaneously in Tamil and Hindi at tough locations, including the Athirapally forests in Kerala, Ooty in Tamil Nadu, Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata, and the Malshej Ghats in Maharashtra.

"As a filmmaker, every tool you get to tell the scene better is important. The geography, the light are big tools used to tell the story. This film is completely set in the outdoor. So if outdoor has got to play a role, you have to make sure it is helping you to tell the story better. The set gives the mood and correct setting to concentrate on the emotions of the characters.

"The idea is not to make it look tough. When you watch the film, you should not be aware of the film being shot in such tough locations. The idea is that it flows effortlessly."

Asked which version he enjoyed while filming, Ratnam said: "It isn't easier to make it in Tamil. If it is in Tamil, I hold more reins in my hand. When I make a film in Hindi, I become a little more liberated. I trust the writer a little more. I trust the actor a little more. I make them a little more responsible."

WATCH: Ash, Abhi at Raavan's London premiere

WATCH: I have come to see Abhishek in a lungi - Shahrukh Khan

WATCH: Abhishek is my man - Aishwarya Rai

WATCH: Beera is mad and so is Abhishek - Mani Ratnam

WATCH: I feel very proud of Ash, Abhi - Jaya Bachchan

WATCH: Raavan is fascinating, says Vikram

Actor Vikram says that Raavan is fascinating in every aspect - be it acting, direction and cinematography.

'Raavan' in 2200 Screens Worldwide

Reliance BIG Pictures and Madras Talkies' forthcoming film RAAVAN will release in approximately 2200 screens worldwide on Friday, June 18, making it the first Indian film to release simultaneously in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu versions.

The Hindi version of the film RAAVAN is slated to release in 1250 screens in India and 325 screens overseas in over 35 countries, including India, U.S., Canada, U.K., U.A.E., Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, South Africa, Netherlands, France, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Sri Lanka etc.

The Tamil version RAVANAN will release in 225 screens in India, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka and also in Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Nasik, Surat, Baroda, Kolkata cities with English subtitles. It will release in 150 screens overseas in Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, U.S., U.K., Middle East Asia, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc.

The Telugu dubbed version VILLAIN will release in 215 screens in Andhra Pradesh and in additional 25 screens in U.S., Australia and New Zealand.

No cheating tactics for Aishwarya

How she got the dialogues right for 'Raavan' in Tamil

She did it, but without prompting. Aishwarya Rai will be seen in the Hindi as well as Tamil versions of ‘Raavan’ that is releasing Friday, but says she didn't use any prompting for either and relied on memory for her dialogues in both the languages.

"I can't take prompting. First of all, I don't know the art of someone holding a placard and me reading it," Aishwarya, 36, said.

"I tried it once, but it was such a flop because I was in the water and they were holding the placard behind the camera and suddenly Vikram enters the frame and he started acting his bit. Then I had to bank on my memory because Vikram came in front, blocking the placard.

"I don't know how to go with these cheating tactics. So prompting doesn't work. I tried, but it didn't work because of the waterfall. You can't hear a thing. So I literally had to rely on memory," she said.

Aishwarya plays the female protagonist in both versions of Mani Ratnam's much-awaited movie that is titled ‘Raavan’ in Hindi and ‘Raavanan’ in Tamil. For the Hindi version, she has teamed up with southern star Vikram, who plays her husband, and her real life partner Abhishek, who is seen as her tormentor.

Is your Tamil as good as Hindi?

"No, no it was memorising and delivering. But if you keep it in front of me, I would be able to pick it up and do it again," she said.

Asked whether she could give equal energy to both the Tamil and Hindi versions of the film, Aishwarya said: "As an actor I have tried giving as much, if not more, when I am working in the Tamil version because I would not want to be accused of trying to give more to one language than the other. Both were equally important to me as I have genuinely worked on two films."

The former beauty queen says though she and Abhishek don't take their personal relationship to the sets of a movie, their natural chemistry reflects on camera.

"We, of course, separate our personal life in front of the camera. But when Abhishek and me are framed together, you naturally see the connection. Even if it was another Hindi actor, may be you would see a more natural connection than you would see between Vikram and me but that is not because of anything else but probably the familiarity of seeing people together."

Talking about Vikram, she said: "Vikram and I were new to each other. After doing 'Iruvar', a lot of films in the south were offered to me with a lot of different actors, him included. My schedules didn't allow me to do south films. I am doing two films this year, 'Raavan' and 'Endhiran'.

"Vikram is senior to both Abhishek and me in terms of experience. Having said that, what's wonderful about working with Mani is that all the actors who come to the table are literally like students who are working for the first time. So no one got down to recognise anyone's seniority or experience or familiarity or personal relationship like Abhishek and me."

In the Tamil version, Vikram is playing the antagonist Beera, while Prithviraj will be seen as Aishwarya's cop husband.

"Mani would always go with the Hindi version first. The beauty of cinema or experience we already have has built an ability to suddenly transport us into a so-called almost fresh Tamil film. Vikram had brought his best to the fore without this assumption that Abhishek has just done it before him. As he is also playing Dev (her husband) in the Hindi version, Mani never brought these two chapters (Beera in Tamil and Dev in Hindi) at the same time, except one fight scene where Vikram didn't have to switch between Dev and Beera.

"Prithviraj has done a very commendable job as Dev in the Tamil version. Specially because Vikram is a Tamil-speaking actor who has done Hindi, Prithviraj, a Malayalam-speaking actor, has done Tamil; so we have all challenged ourselves beyond the norm and really worked hard to make this film."

But she refused to answer who's better as Beera - Abhishek or Vikram!

Ash inspired Vikram to do Hindi 'Raavan'

Southern superstar says he was initially scared to be part of the Hindi version

He is a southern superstar. As Vikram steps into Bollywood at the age of 44 with 'Raavan', he is acutely aware of going where perhaps no Indian actor has gone before - playing the hero in the Hindi version and the villain in the Tamil edition.

He admits to being initially scared to be part of the Hindi version of director Mani Ratnam's 'Raavan' but says his co-star Aishwarya Rai's brilliant performance in the Tamil venture boosted his confidence.

"Initially, I was very scared because I had this mental block. What kept me going was that Ash didn't know Tamil and she was doing so well," Vikram said.

"Had I been only doing the Hindi version, I would have been really worried. But it is also in Tamil and everyone made me feel quite comfortable," he added.

Vikram is perhaps the first actor who is doing a film in two different languages and playing two different characters in them. In the Hindi version he will be seen in the positive role as Aishwarya's husband while in Tamil he will play Beera, a negative character being essayed by Abhishek in the Hindi version.

"No one in the world has done the same film in two languages and with a different role. I think that was something that got me hooked," said Vikram.

"For many days I had to shoot simultaneously in both the languages. It was amazing. I would do a sequence then I would go and change the make-up, take out all the dirt and blood, put another design of dirt and blood and do a sequence for the second language. Usually make-up takes an hour, but for this film here I had to get ready in 10 minutes to finish the fight sequences," said Vikram.

Reports say 'Raavan' is a modern interpretation of the epic "Ramayana". Commenting on that, Vikram said "every film has taken something from the epic".

"It's not Ramayana. When you see the film, you may find the main character is like Rama. But the way he (Ratnam) has designed it, the perspective is totally different.

"Whatever film has been made so far, they have something from 'Ramayana'. So when you will see the film, you might find parallels. I think it's very contemporary. He (Ratnam) just wanted to experiment," said Vikram.

Vikram said he had been wanting to work with Ratnam for a long time.

"We had been planning to work together for the last couple of years, but it didn't happen. The dates didn't match, scripts didn't work out. Finally, for this he called me," he said.

Asked whether he would cast a spell on Bollywood, he said: "I guess forgetting everything and coming here (Bollywood) and working would have bothered me. They called me and I really liked the script...

"I, of course, loved the thought that my audience was going to be much larger. There are lots of people who watch my films. Now those who don't speak Tamil even they will watch my films. That's something that excites me."

A co-production of Madras Talkies and Reliance Big Pictures, 'Raavan' is scheduled for a June 18 release.

Aishwarya sizzles in 'Raavan'

Check out her scorching chemistry with hubby Abhishek in these stills from the movie

She's officially one of the most beautiful women in the world, so no surprises that Aishwarya Rai looks gorgeous even when she's been shooting in a jungle for a really long time. Yes, facing mudslides, leeches, snakes and waterfalls, she's always a stunner in 'Raavan'. Just get a look at these new stills from the movie. Ash looks HOT, and even in the photographs, we're loving the chemistry she has with hubby Abhishek Bachchan.

We know that in the movie she's married to the character played by Southern star Vikram. But looking at these stills, we wonder if there's a twist in the story, and Ash's character ends up with Abhishek's character in the end. Just like in real-life! We'll wait for the movie to find out, meanwhile enjoy these cool pictures of Ash and Abhishek from 'Raavan'.

"Raavan is my most challenging film yet"

Abhishek dived from a 90 foot cliff, braved snakes while shooting for it

He dived from a 90-ft cliff into water, stood under a waterfall for two hours, braved snakes and leeches in Kerala's forests - Abhishek Bachchan says shooting for 'Raavan' was emotionally and physically challenging for him.

The actor revealed that he decided to jump from scary heights despite a no from director Mani Ratnam.

"I did jump. There was a professional diver to train me how to do it," Abhishek, who has teamed up with wife Aishwarya Rai in the movie, told IANS in an interview.

"When we went up there, it was 90 feet or something. So the insurance people said that we can't allow him to do it. You can't put your lead actor's life at risk," he said.

"Mani said no, I am not going to risk my actor jumping off that (cliff). Actually, the current of that river is very intense. There are rocks at the bottom.

"In the meantime, a five-year-old boy came and dived into the water. We were shooting it at Hogenakkal (waterfall on the Cauvery river), where these local kids jump off for money. So five-six people jumped at the end of the day and finally the shot was taken," he said.

"This is the most challenging film I have ever done in my life. I haven't done such a physically and emotionally challenging film in my life. And it's not about going to tough locations or tough scenes. The film drains you and you feel so good when you go home at night because you feel that you have done something. Getting a movie like 'Raavan' is so rare. You don't get such a role today," Abhishek said.

Ratnam's 'Raavan' is said to be a modern interpretation of the epic "Ramayana". It also stars southern superstar Vikram, who plays a cop married to Aishwarya.

The director simultaneously shot 'Raavan' in Tamil and Hindi at various locations, including the Athirapally forests in Kerala, Ooty in Tamil Nadu, Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata, and the Malshej Ghats in Maharashtra. The film has lots of action scenes and stunts performed by the actors.

Ratnam completed the film despite health problems.

"Once you work with him, you will be in awe of him because of the talent he brings to the table. The minute he says cut, he turns into a dear friend. He is someone very close to me. I really feel a strong bond with him. But in front of the camera, you don't have to work to give him the respect - it just comes... He is truly just the best," said Abhishek.

It was Ratnam who gave Abhishek his first hit in 'Yuva' and they later worked together in 'Guru'.

Talking about his character, Abhishek said: "Beera is the most fun character I have played. Fun because when we work on a character, we draw an outline and then fill in the blanks. But Beera is so unpredictable that you can get away with everything. Mani said do whatever you have done. Make it a convincing performance.

"I believe if you can look the character, 50 percent of your job done. I think when you get the body language correct, half of your work is done. And if you have understood the body language, your dialogues after that would just come."

Ratnam loves shooting on real locations to extract the best from his actors, said Abhishek.

"On the first day, he puts us under the waterfall for two hours and, trust me, you are in character. Mani loves to shoot at location. You will think, 'where have we come?' The jungles of Kerala, the snakes and leeches... then you realise that he puts you into the situation where in a day or two you start reacting instinctively as your character would react because you are actually facing that.

"You don't need to act that much, you are just reacting naturally. So when you go to locations like that, it brings out the character automatically."

What made Abhishek behave rudely?

He’s also getting jealous on sets of ‘Raavan’

We don’t know what’s bothering Abhishek Bachchan. Is it the pressure of living under the shadow of powerful family members or the fact that his career still has not gone places despite hits like “Dostana”?

Abhishek showed his rude side at an event in Bangalore recently. During a press conference, a journo from a leading newspaper posed a question to him, which he did not like. In haste, he ordered the journo to be thrown out of the venue.

Not only that, a few hours later the female journalist got a call from Abhi’s publicist asking her to come over and give a written statement that she had been rude to the Jr. Bachchan and that it was all her fault and not Abhi’s!

Meanwhile, it’s also being said that Abhi’s ‘Raavan’ co-star Ravi Kishan is making him jealous and insecure. Apparently, director Mani Ratnam is very happy with Ravi’s work and keeps praising him, which is making Abhishek sulk.

Ravi is playing Abhishek’s brother in the much-awaited film, which also stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Govinda.

Abhishek is banking a lot on “Raavan” and has worked very hard on his role, which he’s hoping turns out to be the best negative performance ever.