Ollywood is feeling the heat & how!

“We just have have to bear with the heat,” quipped star actress Barsha Priyadarshini as she wrapped up a shot for director Chandi Parija’s Hata Dhari Chalutha in Bhubaneswar. “As actors, we have to be very conscious about our physique and appearance. Working in summer takes a toll on our skin and hair. Still, we have no choice. Raja is coming and we have to keep our commitments — whether it is summer or the monsoons.” His co-star in the film, Anubhav Mohanty, sees this as a learning experience. “The heat can leave you weary and tense, but I generally don’t let it show. The eyes, which are crucial BijaydaBijayMohantyDhabaleswarGhatsAnubhav Actor Akash Das Nayak says that despite the gruelling conditions the film shoots are timebound and actors have to stay committed. Busy with the upcoming movie Hari Om Hari, Akash says, “We are shooting some fight scenes in this sweltering heat. Though I am drinking a lot of water to protect myself from dehydration, it’s not enough. The reflectors take up the temperature by quite a few notches. And then there is the hot wind. We also need to do our makeup again and again. But there’s nothing to be done,” he says. Jyotee Dass, who is directing Ashok Samrat in Konark, lists the initiatives to protect cast and crew from the heat. “Dahi pani is always kept ready on the sets, as are lemon water and glucose,” he said. However, Barsha asks for her food to be cooked without spice. “Thankfully, our directors and producers plan shoots in such a way that it’s mostly done before noon,” she pointed out. There are also AC vans for the actors. Saroj Kumar Praharaj, production manager of Sudhakar Vasanth’s Daha Balunga, says, “Apart from liquid refreshments, we make sure that food is cooked lightly on the sets. Vehicles are kept ready for emergencies like someone suffering a heat stroke.” The local TV industry, however, enjoys no such facilities to beat the heat. “In summer, film shoots don’t generally happen between noon and 3 pm. There are arrangements in case someone falls to a heat stroke. But in the case of TV serials, producers hardly ever think of such things. We have worked for over a decade in this industry under such circumstances and manage to live with it,” says actor Kuna Tripathy, who plays the lead in Rajneeti.