Hot on the Wheels
of the cars used in films depends, for most part, on the script. If the film is contemporary, it is easy to source the cars, which are often rented. “But if the scene requires the car to be destroyed, we buy either new or second-hand cars,” adds Feroz Shah, a supplier who purchased a second-hand Sonata and Gypsy for the drowning sequences in Talaash. This, he says, explains why the budget of films with elaborate action sequences is so high.
While it is easier to dispose off the cars used in action sequences, those that have escaped major damage during shooting can come in handy in the future. “Bejoy Nambiar’s upcoming David, for instance, has a few scenes where cars bang into each other and topple over. In such cases, one can build a metal cage inside the car’s body, the way rally drivers do. This helps protect stunt performers and also retains the shape of the vehicles. These are then fixed in a garage,” explains Gulab.
Most car suppliers, therefore, have their own garages. Mehboob Khan recounts that for Chaalis Chaurasi, where the police van was in itself an important character, director Hriday Shetty had a set of specifications. “The van belonged to the police and was rented only for the shoot,” he says. Khan’s team brought it to the garage, modified it to include a platform in accordance to the shoot requirement and fixed a stand for a camera. Later, he repaired it to look the same as before.
The job
Be the first to comment.
