Actor Chetan Hansraj has opened up about experience of working on Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, where he plays Mali, the grandfather of Ravana, portrayed by Yash. Hansraj, who also runs an AI studio working extensively on television serials including Naagin 7, told Variety India that being part of the project felt like being a kid in a candy store.
A familiar world of technology
Hansraj said the film’s technical process did not feel unfamiliar to him, given his own background with Unreal Engine. “For me, it was fabulous because I work on Unreal Engine (3D Creation Tool) as well. The entire preview of the movie was done on Unreal Engine. The technicians I interacted with were top-of-the-line from a VFX point of view. When I asked one of them how the technology used in Ramayana compares to that in Hollywood, he said that ours is faster. What we are doing over here is better than what they use in Hollywood,” he said.
To prepare for the role of Mali, Hansraj said he researched different versions of the Ramayana to understand the character. “I have done many shows that revolve around these epics before this, which helped me gather knowledge about this. I brought all my experience into it. Every time I was giving a shot, my thought was that it has to be perfect,” he said.
Working with a Hollywood action team
Recalling his opening fight sequence, Hansraj credited action director Terry Notary for pushing the team further. “Terry Notary was the action director for that sequence. He said, ‘Chetan, we’ve got some great shots, but we should get some better shots. We have gold, but we’re chasing a diamond.’ During the filming of Ramayana, I learned a lot about myself as an actor. When you work with a Hollywood crew, you understand their way of thinking and how they extract performances. We learn how to apply those techniques,” he said.
He added, “As actors, we tend to emote a lot, but sometimes it helps to be a bit subtle. First of all, the animation. I am a total geek for that, and there were times when I just looked at the scenes in amazement. I wanted to do my best as Ramayana is our epic.”
A shared sense of responsibility
Hansraj said every actor on set felt a responsibility to deliver their best, and praised Namit Malhotra for taking the epic to a global audience. “The team has the best actors and technicians from all over the world. It is an emotional epic because it is associated with our social and cultural fabric,” he said.
On the scale of the film’s budget, Hansraj said actors cannot let that weigh on them. “I don’t think about it. My job is to do my best with what is supplied to me. The only thought was to deliver at a level that my work will be remembered for a long, long time. Around 4,000 people are working on this film, including a VFX team that is on it 24x7,” he said.
Also Read: Ramayana English trailer: Namit Malhotra DECODES DNEG’s AI-powered lip-sync technology!
More Pages: Ramayana - Part : I Box Office Collection
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