`Peepli Live` shot sans extras and props

Mumbai: Actor filmmaker Aamir Khan has long been considered as a path-breaker in Bollywood and hence it does not come as a surprise when people he choses to work with, do not comply with the conventional forms of filmmaking.

Anusha Rizvi, the director of `Peepli Live`, the star filmmaker`s latest home production shot the movie in a very unique way. Anusha wanted to shoot the film in a very natural setting so she chose to shoot the whole film in Bhadwai village in Madhya Pradesh. Going the extra mile, she preferred not to have any extras in the film and instead chose to shoot the villagers as they went about conducting their daily chores. One would think that the presence of a film unit would cause considerable disturbance in a village, but the unit of `Peepli Live` shot the villagers at work without disrupting their lives. Says a source from the unit, "we shot the villagers of Bhadwai while they were at work to get the real look. We did not hire any extras. We just moved around and captured scenes while the villagers worked hard." Mahmood, the casting director of the film says that the idea was to try and make space for villagers. So if a goat would be passing, they would allow it to be a part of the shot. We did not want the villagers to feel victimized at all. Usually what happens, we get into a village and disrupt their life. So if a school was on, it was part of a particular scene. "The benefit of this unique technique was for all to see. The director Anusha was happy as she got what she desired, while the producer Aamir was also happy as he did not have to spend money on props and extras. It was quite a win-win situation, the source said. PTI