Safety first, sensation next. However, the shooting of a big budget Telugu movie stopped in its tracks at the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) as a forest official tried to hammer home the point.
The lead actors of the `32-crore film Rachaa were the Magadheera-star and Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan Teja and Tamanna. Sampath Nandi, director of the film, had visualised a love song composed by Mani Sharma in the mist-shrouded Periyar lake. The stars were ready – Ram Charan in his casuals and Tamanna in her skimpy top and skirt. It was then that PTR deputy director Sanjay Kumar insisted the lovers wear a life jacket as they venture out into the lake on a boat.
Sources said Sampath Nandi was gob-smacked. No amount of persuasion worked. He called off the shoot. “I cannot allow anyone to go boating without a life jacket,” Sanjay Kumar said.
The entry of the shooting party, like an arrogant invading army, was itself against the rules. They drove right up to the boat landing area in 20 cars. Vehicles are supposed to park in the ground opposite the Aamakkada Eco-Shop and then proceed by foot to the boat landing. They were a team of over 100 people with lots of non-permissible equipment like generators, amplifiers and speakers. They had also ferried in articles to cook for 100 people.
The deputy director was aghast. He wanted most of it out of the protected zone. The crew cooperated.