THE FIRST DAY OF SHOOT...

1st Nov'08...
I met Uttung at his place and we left for location in his car, It was a silent drive... none of us spoke...there were a million thoughts and feelings rushing through our minds as the day had finally arrived!

We were beginning our film from a 180 sq.ft. room in Worli's B.D.D. chawl...it was the first day of a fifteen day schedule...it was the beginning of our first film...
There was a muhurat planned right outside the chawl where there was a temple. This film was also the first venture for our producers and hence invitations were sumptously extended to friends, family and other invitees along with - THE MEDIA!
We were beginning to get behind schedule as we could not shoot until the muhurat happened and some invitees/ dignitories were yet to arrive. Meanwhile the interviews had begun...i could not help from getting goosebumps when i saw Uttung interacting with the media for i knew one thing - if anyone did deserve success and fame- it was Uttung Shelar. Although he was thoroughly uncomfortable in the limelight i could see he was finding his ground as time passed...

Knowing him i knew that all he wanted to do was to start shooting but there were some formalities still pending...
However with each passing hour i was getting increasingly uncomfortable as i knew we would not complete the sequences planned for today...it was nearing 12.00 noon and we had yet to begin.
Finally with half a day almost gone, the muhurat happened...Sandeep Sawant director of India's official Oscar entry film "Shwaas" gave the clap and the camera rolled...there was no looking back now...

The first shot of the film required BHARAT JADHAV to climb the stairs towards camera and have a conversation with his neighbour - UMESH BANE- in the corridor outside his room.
There were around 200-250 people excluding some 30-4o children gathered to witness the shooting. For the area that were were shooting in, happens to be a major base for the Marathi film audience where our actor Bharat Jadhav happens to be an icon.
Thus amidst the chaos and delay the first shot was OK'd after the 4th take...Uttung had taken one more giant step in his journey as a director...the film had been taken to another level in its making process for a shot had been canned..."ACTION" and "CUT" had been called by the director...Uttung's dream was beginning to see light as ATTAPITTA was beginning to take shape.
The day ended at around 10:00 p.m., we had not finished what we had scheduled for, the day's plan had to be re-arranged taking into consideration the expected and unexpected delays.
There were two more days of shoot left at the location and we had almost 15% of our film to be shot here…tomorrow we were going to be joined by another “STAR” of the Marathi film industry- SANJAY NARVEKAR… so the crowds were going to be larger, the adjustments were needed to be more intelligent and sharp…and all the while the energy had to be maintained…14 days were left for the first schedule to complete...