*'Raavan' Finally Over* *By MovieTalkies.com, 28 October 2009* The shooting of the much awaited 'Raavan' being made by Mani Ratnam, is finally over. After a mammoth shooting schedule, the last of which almost ran into three months and spanned locations in Kerala, Malshej Ghat and Lonavala, the ordeal is over. One calls it an ordeal because of the various obstacles that the director and the film's cast had to face.
During the film's shooting, Mani also suffered a heart attack and was hospitalised. Also, the film was shot in the dense forests of Kerala where it was not unusual to come across snakes and other wild animals. The film's shooting had also been disrupted once when a herd of tuskers attacked the unit. So yes, it has not been an easy journey for either the director or the film's unit. With Mani having a reputation for being a perfectionist and a strong taskmaster, it may have proved to be a tiring shoot for Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwariya Rai Bachchan, specially the latter. 'Raavan' has been made in Tamil as well and Ash is acting in both the versions. She shot for both versions simultaneously. One of the surprise elements in the film is actor Govinda. He supposedly plays the role of Hanuman in 'Raavan', which is a contemporary take on Ramayana. Casting Govinda seems to have been a very un Mani like decision as the actor is known to be very unprofessional despite being a fine actor. But despite rumours to the contrary, the actor is believed to have surprised one and all by his professional behaviour and punctuality. While Abhi and Ash are definitely the protagonists of the movie, it seems that Govinda may well give them a run for their money with his performance. http://www.movietalkies.com/bollywoodnews/news.asp?NewsId=4517 -- Thx & Rgds Abdul Manaf C.P
