Chandigarh 4 march 2025 : Ever wondered what it must be like to shoot a film in the middle of crores of people? Ask actor Abhishek Banerjee, who wrapped up the shoot for Maha Sangam at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj (UP) last month, and he says it was a “blessed experience”.
“It was a rare experience for the entire crew, as no one had done anything like this before. As actors, we are used to silence and isolation on the set,” the Stree (2018) actor says, adding, “Par yahan hum log shor ke saath acting kar rahe the. I feel there was a divine intervention. We did the shoot without any VIP culture — ek aam aadmi ki tarah.”
So, how much planning went into a shoot like this? He shares, “We had done all the planning and had a storyboard, too. But as we started, everything went for a toss. Any planning in such a crowd is just impossible. Every day, we used to have some adventure.”
Abhishek recalls, “I stopped thinking beyond the scenes. Throughout scenes, shots, frames, locations and portrayal, we were improvising. It turned out to be a kind of docu-fictional film, as we documented all that was around us and fictionalised it.”
Summary: Abhishek Banerjee reflects on his experience shooting at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, saying each day was an adventure and they were constantly improvising.