Remember the massive dramatic sequence in Prakash Mehra's Zanjeer where the large B playing the scowling ireful cop Vijay drags Jaya Bhaduri, the reluctant eyewitness for the villain Teja's crime, into the hospital to turn her first-hand the mayhem that he has caused?
This week director Apoorva Lakhia shot that sequence with Ramcharan and Priyanka Chopra for the neo-Zanjeer.
And the venue of the shooting was Ramcharan's wife Upasana Kamineni's hospital, the large pride of Hyderabad, the Apollo.
An eyewitness from the scene of the melee says, "It was like a rally for big-time politicians, the type of crowds that Narendra Modi attracts at his election rallies. That's how popular Ramcharan is in Andhra. And while you add Priyanka Chopra to the proceedings you have got a virtual stampede to be had. The minute news spread that Priyanka and Ramcharan were shooting in his wife's hospital, all of Hyderabad swooped down at the place."
It was Ramacharan's wife Upasana idea to shoot on the Apollo.
Says our source, "The Zanjeer unit earlier planned to shoot the crucial dramatic sequence in another hospital of Hyderabad. Upasana protested, and insisted that they shoot at Apollo. 'How are you able to shoot in another hospital when you've the most efficient available?' she argued. No person argues with Upasana, most likely not Ramcharan. So we decided to shoot the sequence at Apollo to ensure that the inside track of the venue didn't exit to the general public".
Within 20 minutes of the shooting the hospital resembled a political rally.
Says the eyewitness, "ALL THE city of Hyderabad gave the look to be there. You see, it's a must to understand Upasana's hospital is sort of a luxury hotel. It's just like the Kokilaben hospital in Mumbai. There is no restricted entry into the premises. People walk into the primary area as and the way they need. So it became a free-for-all, with the Hyderabadi junta demanding a dekko at Ramcharan and Priyanka."
Says the eyewitness, "We were doing that very dramatic scene from the unique in a corner of the sprawling hospital. We somehow managed and none folks needed to be admitted into the hospital during shooting (laughs). For this we have to thank Ramcharan's and Priyanka's bodyguards who were firm but not rude. If the general public felt snubbed they might have disrupted our shooting."
