I had to consume food through a straw while shooting, says Anwar Khan on portraying Bali and Sugreev in Ramayan

The upcoming episode of Anand Sagar’s ‘Ramayan’ emphasizes on the importance of two monkey brothers – Bali and Sugreev who help Ram in defeating Ravan. Bali was an embodiment of strength, so much so that he could tie Ravan, the king of Lanka with his tail and tow him around the world till Ravan called for truce and accepted defeat.

Recollecting one such challenging incident, actor Anwar Khan who played the role of Bali and Sugreev both, reveals how he was fed semi-solid food and beverages through straw while shooting for Ramayan. He said, "My mouth was covered with a special mask to give me a look like the monkey brother -Bali and Sugreev. To maintain my energy during the scene, I would ensure that I force fed myself before the shoot began. During the shoot, in between breaks, in the scorching heat of Baroda, I was made to consume beverages by using a straw. During the lunch break, I would take off my mask and ensure I eat as much as possible, so that I could continue shooting with high energy levels. Post lunch, my make-up artist would redo my mask makeup which would consume 3 hours of my shoot time. However, since I was portraying the roles Bali and Sugreev both, kept me going in spite of these tough challenges.”

Speaking on ensuring shoots weren’t disrupted, Shahab Shamsi, Creative Head of Ramayan, said, “It was difficult to manage actors makeup in the sweltering heat of Baroda without any makeup vans at outdoor locations like the jungles. I had to make extra efforts to keep actors in good humour.”

Ramayan, the epic tale of promises and ideologies is aired every evening at 7.30pm and repeat telecast at 9.30am only on Dangal TV.