Braving the Cold
Gaami was shot at the frozen River Zanskar in the Himalayas
Vishwak Sen’s upcoming film Gaami, directed by Vidyadhar Kagita, chronicles the adventurous journey of Shankar, a wounded, reclusive aghora on a quest to find the cure for his very rare condition. The director reveals that the film was shot at the frozen River Zanskar in the Himalayas, That’s a rarity for Telugu films in particular, and for Indian films in general.
The picturesque locations are part of the narrative. Although it was challenging, the filmmakers wanted to capture the real locations . “We shot for three winter seasons (2020, ‘21 and ‘22) to capture the Zanskar river in a frozen state, and other locations,” reveals the director, adding that the sequences are truly an ode to the beauty of the place.
The director wanted to show audiences some virgin locations and felt the Zanskar was picture perfect. They shot at minus 40 degrees in winters at the Changthang plateau 19,000 ft above sea level. The team had to travel one-and-a-half hours to and from the location (Ladakh). “We were battered, bruised and almost frozen, and our hands and feet became numb; we couldn’t stand at the end of the day. Once work for the day was done, the team rushed to the nearby vans and warmed up,” he shares, adding that the team recently wrapped up the shooting.
“Shooting at such high altitudes in extreme temperatures was taxing, but the beauty of the stark landscape has surely made up for all the trouble,” he shares.
MEANWHILE
Game of Thrones connect
Game of Thrones production designer Deborah Riley helped the Gaami unit save time, money and effort. Many of the fantasy locations for HBO’s epic TV series were shot in Iceland, featuring snow and ice. Since the Gaami makers wanted to recreate a snowy ambience, the film’s production designer Pravalya wrote to Deborah requesting her to help them with techniques to recreate snow digitally. And the latter promptly responded. “Her advice also elevated the beauty of the frames and gave us a direction. We are extremely thankful to her; the techniques and guidance she gave was pivotal,” says Pravalya.