SHOOTING ABROAD IS NOT EASY: DIVYANKA

Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya talks about how shooting abroad is not like a holiday as the pressure to complete scenes is “immense”

Quite often, TV shows are shot at a foreign location these days. While it comes as a pleasant change for actors and audiences, there is more than what meets the eye. “Shooting abroad is a wonderful break from an unvarying and predictable work schedule,” says Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya, who has shot for her TV show in Australia last year and recently in Budapest, Hungary. “We actors spend at least 1012 hours a day on the same set in Mumbai, and shooting abroad for a few days means a break from a methodical routine, which is more than welcome. Change in climate, too, proves to be refreshing. It’s either colder or hotter than India but a difference from usual makes it special,” says the actor, adding that while it all looks beautiful on screen, no one knows about the adversities that the unit face. Divyanka was accompanied by her husband Vivek Dahiya to Budapest. Some of the other cast members too brought their partners and family members. They chilled together in the city post shoot. Talking about her recent experience, she says, “The weather in Budapest, where we shot recently, was extremely cold, windy with occasional rains. Battling the weather made the job difficult. Many fell sick, and production cost also went up as they provided everyone comfortable gloves and paid for excess baggage fees owing to heavy warm clothes everyone was carrying. Our fingers were freezing and teeth chattering, but the work didn’t stop. As much as we wanted to take a break and go for some sightseeing, we couldn’t as the pressure to shoot scenes in a stipulated time period is much more abroad.”

Moreover, the shooting environment is not as controlled as it is on a set in the city, hence there are always unexpected delays, says Divyanka, adding, “Foreign locales sure gives the show a refreshing change. It might or might not affect ratings but its definitely a breath of fresh air for the show, which keeps the audience hooked on and entertained. kavita.awaasthi@hindustantimes.com

Foreign locales sure gives the show a refreshing change. It might or might not affect ratings but it’s definitely a breath of fresh air to the show, which keeps the audience hooked on. DIVYANKA TRIPATHI DAHIYA, ACTOR