Starring Abhishek Bachchan, the incredible Delhi-6 directed by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, released on On February 20th, 2009 also featured Waheeda Rehman, Sonam Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari, Rishi Kapoor, Supriya Pathak, Atul Kulkarni, Pavan Malhotra, Deepak Dobriyal, Divya Dutta, Vijay Raaz and Om Puri. Talking with Subhash K Jha, Abhishek shares some memories from the shoot, including how the cast and crew felt like a big family.
What do you remember of Delhi-6?
We were truly like one big family. Though it was a set, we felt it was home. None of us had his or her own makeup room. We all got ready together in the same room and got the hair, makeup, and wardrobe done together. And there was one makeup person. We also had one common dining room where we all had to sit together to eat. So, it was about building a bond beyond the screen. None of us had a van on location.
I believe the cast and crew were together even during after-hours.
Yes, we all sat together when we weren’t shooting. We all had rooms in the same building. It was like sleeping in a dormitory. It added to our sense of community. This made our relationship on the sets so strong we didn’t have to act like a family in the film. It was an exercise in team building. Even when we were not shooting, Rakeysh Mehra sat with us and discussed the script. Ten of us actors would sit together in a corner and discuss the script while another bunch faced the camera.
Even on the days when you were not shooting, you were together?
Even on days when I wasn’t working, I’d be on location to interact with them, even though the place I stayed was a good hour and a half away from where we were shooting. The camaraderie was unbelievable. We were in Sambar for two and a half months and did everything together. We did extensive reading together. We had lots of rehearsals.
The script sessions continued even when the camera was switched off?
Rakeysh would organize evenings when he’d read scripts to the entire star cast. He ensured there was a lot of bonding going on, so that there was a great comfort level when everyone got on the sets. Since a lot of the film is about interpersonal relationships, it was very important for actors, some of whom didn’t know one another, to appear as though they knew one another from childhood. We were truly like one big family. Though it was a set, we felt it was home.
