'Oye Mamu' recalls a challenging encounter with wasps
'Oye Mamu!, a quirky comedy starring Ruslaan Mumtaz, Kulraj Randhawa and Gulshan Grover premiered recently on BookMyShow and is in the news for bringing together comedy veterans like Asrani, Gulshan Grover, Tiku Talsania and Brijendra Kala. Making waves is Bollywood’s original ‘Bad Man’ Gulshan Grover in an unexpected avatar as Pinky Bhaiya. The cast of the feel-good caper recalled one moment in the shoot that did not really raise much laughter, though, in retrospect, it was funny!
Says director Vikram Singh, “I remember that day vividly. We were shooting at the Race Course and we were going to film a race with crowds and cast members in strategic locations for reaction shots. The unit had identified six locations from where the race was to be covered by six cameras and all the shooting protocols were in place with meticulous planning. A thorough recce had been done a couple of weeks earlier and each of the six units had designated assistants. It was all set to go without a hitch but then in a film shoot, no matter how well you plan, there’s always a curveball waiting for you!”
Producer Nikhil Panchamiya adds, “Yes, it was something none of us could have expected! When Vikram reached the third camera team, they were positioned on top of a tower at the far end of the Race Course and each and every member of the team had a swollen face!”
Gulshan Grover interjects, “When I came to know about the incident, I was tickled first then I quickly gathered that the crew members had been stung! I remember Vikram telling me, just as he was asking what in God’s name had happened to everyone, he felt a sting on his arm and the wave of pain made everything clear! A bunch of nasty wasps had nested in the tower and they hated this unwelcome intrusion by a noisy film crew!”
Vikram of course told the crew to abandon the post but they acted like thorough professionals, stood firm and left only after filming the sequence they were meant to. Ruslaan adds, “When you watch a film like ‘Oye Mamu!,’ you will not know the amount of serious hard work that has gone into every aspect of its making. Shooting a comedy is not just all fun and games and can occasionally sting too!”
Oye Mamu! is directed by Vikram Singh and produced by Nikhil Panchamiya & Dilip Bafna under the banner, Fourth Wall Productions. The film features Ruslaan Mumtaz, Kulraj Randhawa, Gulshan Grover, Asrani, Tiku Talsania, Mohan Kapoor, Brijendra Kala, And Tanay Chheda in lead roles.
