On the sets of Jazbaa

Today has been much awaited. At least by the little girls who train with us at Sports Authority of India (SAI), Kandivali. Awaiting Jazbaa that hits theatres today.

Exactly a month ago, on 9th Sep 2015, the last few shots for Aishwarya Rai’s latest film Jazbaa were taken at the SAI running track. Preparation at the ground started the previous day – clean-up, painting, flags, banners, stage, backdrops. Everything that would come in the line of the lens was made perfect for the shoot.

Word spread that the film crew was looking for small girls of approximately 10 years of age and for ladies, to run in the film. The scene that was going to be shot was a school sports day where there would be a baton relay with the girls and their mothers. They needed people for the crowd too.

Shooting happened from morning to evening that day. The place was full of safari-suited security guards keeping the unwanted athletes off the ground. The coaches who train their wards at SAI were very much in the limelight, being in full control of the proceedings during the shoots. Some of us, including me, who went in the evening were lucky enough to see some of the final takes of the film. Action, cut! Action, cut!

Aishwarya Rai at SAI, Kandivali for Jazbaa

Prashansa, Shreyashi and Siya (and the other children and some adults too) had the experience of their lives and are now in the film! The relay has made it to one of the film’s trailers.

Pics courtesy our SAI training group

Being on the sets of Jazbaa took me back some 30-odd years, when as high school students, I and my school mates were in the shoot for a Dilip Kumar film Aag Ka Dariya. Yes, the Bangalore Military School on Hosur Road, Bangalore was the location for a school prize distribution that was a part of the film. We were put into an auditorium and had to shout “We want speech. We want speech.”, when Padmini Kolhapure, who was playing Dilip Kumar’s daughter, was called onto the stage to take her trophy. Shooting went on for the full day, and in-between takes we got a chance to see the stars close-up.

As you can imagine, we eagerly awaited the release of the film, but this never did happen. We heard that the film had run into problems and I had assumed that it was never finished, until in December 2013, when I saw a news item that indicated the film would be released in 2014. I doubt this has happened as yet. Wonder if the scene we shot ever made it past the final crop! Read more about this adventure on my Just Autographs site here.

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