Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan’s forthcoming film Raavan has become a closely-guarded affair.
To prevent photographs of the shooting of Raavan from being leaked, the lead pair — Abhishek and Aishwarya — is wrapped in blankets.
Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan’s forthcoming film Raavan has become a closely-guarded affair. Director Mani Ratnam has ordered his crew to take extra precautions and plug every possible fissure through which pictures of the shooting at Kochi (Kerela) might get leaked.
Mani’s order came after he observed the overwhelming response from the locals and tourists who were gearing up with mobile phones and cameras to take pictures of one of Bollywood’s most-celebrated couple.
An insider says “Abhi-Ash are staying at a resort just next to the Athirapally waterfalls and are shooting in the forests of Malayatoor, which is a prime spot for eco-tourism in the state. Naturally, there are a lot of people at both these places who want to catch a glimpse of Abhi-Ash. Then there are press people with cameras. Everyone wants to click pictures. On the first day itself Mani noticed that controlling so many people and asking them not to click pictures would be next to impossible. So, he devised a plan.”
The source adds, “Abhishek and Ash get their make-up done in their hotel rooms and also wear their costumes. They are then wrapped in one blanket each and are escorted to the jeep which takes them to the shooting location. This jeep is also covered with thick bed sheets so that no one can catch a glimpse of them. The jeep drops them at the area from which no cars can enter forests. From there Abhishek and Aishwarya are again wrapped in blankets and they are taken to the shooting spot. Mani is frightened that Raavan’s stills may also be leaked on the internet in the same way as S Shankar’s Endhiran (formerly titled Robot which has Rajnikanth and Aishwarya in the lead). It was such a huge loss to the film.”
If sources are to be believed, Aishwarya is dressed up as a Brahmin lady and Abhishek is wearing dhotis. Mani is most probably filming Rama’s exile days when Rama, Sita and Laxman lived in forests and Sita got kidnapped by the demon king Ravana.
Mani seems to have added a twist to the tale of Raavan. The film which has been inspired from Ramayana, will narrate from the point of view of the king of Lanka and how Sita takes his side when Rama asks her to go through purification by fire to prove her chastity as she was kept as a hostage by Raavan.
The film is being shot in two languages — Hindi and Tamil — simultaneously. In the Tamil version Vikram will essay the role of Rama and actor Prithviraj will don the garb of Raavan. Aishwarya Rai will play Sita in both versions. It is also said that Aishwarya is learning classical singing for this role. She'd like to sing all her songs in Raavan herself.
So, like Shabana Azmi in Morning Raga, Aishwarya intends to take lessons in how to look convincing as a singer. She'll be regularly taking lessons in classical singing from a guru.
g_prithwish@dnaindia.net 
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