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In the olden days if you visited a friend at his shooting, they never allowed you to go home till pack-up. I tried to get up and leave a couple of times but every time, Anil and Satish Kaushik find excuses to keep me on their sets, just now it is the naashta break. and time for snack break. While the camera unit gets ready for the next location, Kaushik takes me for a stroll on his sprawling sets. There is a large terrace surrounded by trees. He points to the smiling flowers and informs that all the plants are artificial but they look so real that often he forgets that they are made of paper.

They have created the exterior of a beautiful bungalow and on the top floor is Anil Kapoor’s room, his balcony surrounded by bougainvillea branches.  After a guided tour of all the floors we arrive at a new set where the cameraman is all set. Post suhaag raat is serious scene where Shilpa has to make a long speech and confront Anil Kapoor. Anil is ashamed but has his say. Some more shots followed by a new scene for which Anil and Shilpa need to change their costumes.  I decide I have to go home now and Anil Kapoor escorts me to my car, he looks exhausted as well but cheerful, says, “It is normally 10-10 shift today we have wasted so much time celebrating that we are all prepared for an extension if we are lucky we will pack-up by midnight”.

@bhawanasomaaya