Part 3 - The Burning Hearts.
It had been exactly four months since the official announcement of the film in the press conference and the shooting had begun a month ago since the set designer had finished everything before the deadline.
According to RVs team, he seemed content, well almost, because in his words, 'Being satisfied with anything would mean the end of his career', but other than that the acclaimed director was happy with the way things were going and it didn't come as a surprise to many when he confessed it himself, going by how his passing one-liners very often got the whole team cracking up. But for the heroine of the film, these past weeks had been extremely draining -- both mentally and physically.
Diya had started shooting for the film two weeks ago. Dai ma and Dhruv had been extremely excited and had ordered her to send them the off screen pictures, since Rajveer hadn't allowed anyone to see the audition. But she could see the concern behind the excitement when the light in their eyes had faded a little. They knew about her sour relationship with Arjun. The two now silently hoped that a miracle would happen and prayed that she could handle it all. Diya's dad, however, like always had remained silent, only, this time he was more silent, if that was even possible, before he had walked out with his briefcase in hand.
The first day, she had met the other cast members, and had instantly bonded well with most of them. Shreeya was to play her brother/sister Shikhandi, she was a popular television actress working on a film for the first time, but she had a strong voice and an even strong character.
One common thing that she had noticed about each member of the cast, while Draupadi's birth scene was being shot was that no matter debutants or professionals, popular or not-so-popular, all of them were brilliant actors. The scene had been filmed on a grand scale; the grounds illuminated with numerous lamps and filled with colourful drapes and flowers of various kinds. She had thought the setting to be absolutely brilliant and when she had performed the scene, she acted with the same passion and emotion that she had showcased during the audition; rather it was a notch higher.
While memorising the script, which she had done in an unusually short while, Diya had become oblivious of everything around her. Once the makeup and hair had been done, she had imagined the scene playing in front of her, instead of the huge vanity mirror and the white wooden table which was full of cosmetics. Once the scene had been performed in just a single take, she had been waiting near a bon-fire, lost in thought. The fire along with warming her from the cool night breeze of Umargaon -- a small coastal town about 160kms from Mumbai where the set had been put up -- had also set her sari on fire, but instead of feeling terrified of it, she had felt different warmth in the blazing flame enveloping her, almost as if it were a part of her. But Ananya had discovered her just in time, thus preventing a serious mishap.
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Rajveer, after the incident, had then said, "Easy there tigress, we don't want you to set the world aflame with the fire you just came out of. It's good you are alright, or someone wouldn't have been able to breathe", his eyes fixed seriously at something before he walked away, but not before asking her to rest. A while later, Diya had felt someone's piercing gaze fixed on her but thinking of it as a figment of her imagination, she had ignored it.
The whole process of the hallucinations, the deja vu and the stellar performances, full of passion and determination continued and Diya thoroughly missed the advice of one person amidst all this chaos, she missed her best friend, who would always talk her out of her dilemmas. As if on cue, one day Diya was shocked beyond imagination when the same person made a visit to the sets -- in between a scene when Draupadi was supposed to meet Sri Krishna for the first time -- as the blue lord himself, while the unit had been shooting in the picturesque Nohkalikai Falls in Cherrapunji, and turned out, it wasn't just a regular visit but an arranged plan made by the person and RV to surprise her. That's how she got to know that the person, who was an occasional actor, had been signed on to play the role of Lord Krishna in the film. He would now be her best friend on reel as in reality.
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(Nohkalikai Falls, Cherrapunji)
...
Krish Yadav. A person most people looked up to, in the film industry and why not? He was the heir of Kaynaat Productions, a production house known to churn out the biggest blockbusters since the time of its establishment, almost forty years ago by his grandfather, Shoorsen Kartik Yadav.
Turned out, he was no less than a prodigy, having inherited his business sense from his now-retired father and the artist in him, shone out brightly, just like his late grandfather and mother. While his mother was a powerhouse of talent, a strong and effective theatre actress, his grandfather had been one of the veteran film-makers and writers and an incredibly respected personality in the film industry at the time of his death an year ago. He had been eighty years old and had breathed his last in a peaceful and content state of mind, in his huge ancestral Haveli in Lucknow, the city of Nawabs along with his various accolades, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, which were placed in an orderly fashion on the mahogany shelves on the wall that was opposite his bed.
Krish was an extremely sharp person, widely known for his intellect and impeccable, witty remarks. He had always made his family proud, be it for winning a National award for one of his most brilliant performances on screen, or getting acclaim for handling his production house even better than his father -- by producing a number of substantial films which earned extremely well at the box office too -- over the last decade. He was Diya's first cousin, her mother's sister's only son and five years her senior. Although, Drupad always maintained a distance from the Yadav family, his children were especially close to their aunt and Krish. Diya and Krish had always had a strong connection since their childhood, and with time, Krish had become her closest confidant, not only her cousin but also her best friend and someone who always guided her onto the right path whenever she was stuck at a crossroads.
When Rajveer -- a good old friend -- had offered him the role, Krish had immediately accepted it. Many would have thought that it was because he would be working with his favourite cousin but the case was just the opposite. The character had appealed him like no other he had done before. It had caught his attention to a great extent, with the similarities staring back at him like his own reflection in a lake of clear water. Also, he was famous for getting what he wanted, and it was very rare when he felt like the character was meant for him hence he wasn't letting the opportunity slip from his hand by any means. Further, he knew somewhere in his heart that taking up this role would benefit not only him but someone he loved dearly. Thus after a quick phone call with his wife Rukmani, he signed the film, but not before putting forward his terms and conditions, which included that his name remain unannounced to the audience, at least till the promotions of the film began.
...
Diya had been dumbfounded on seeing Krish in front of her and had hugged him immediately. Once she had pulled back, her eyes had wandered over his form, and a proud smile had emanated from her lips. Her eyes shone as she scanned the intricately designed gold mukut on his head with the blue-green mor pankha, his chest laden with gold jewellery and the saffron dhoti that stood out against his dark form but suited him perfectly. They had shot the scene soon after, and he had to admit, she had performed brilliantly.
(Credit: Instagram)
Also, dressed in the traditional style orange to gold ombre sari and antique jewellery she looked just her part, the fiery ancient princess. Krish looked at her eyes and could instantly make out that there was a lot going on inside her, much more than she was expressing, and also that she was not herself once she got into the character. For a person who didn't know her better, she would just be a remarkable actress performing in all her glory, but he had witnessed the honest confusion and uncertainty in her eyes when they had first met, meeting the requirement of the scene, as Draupadi and Krishna respectively. He had then seen her eyes light up when he had offered to be friends with her, and finally, their bond as Krishna and Draupadi had given an altogether new beginning for their relationship, a new understanding which was much beyond what they had previously shared. Even while he had introduced her character to Arjun's, he had witnessed no signs of distress; instead he had noticed a faint blush and lots of curiosity in her glittering eyes. He knew then that she had given her heart and soul into this character, thinking this he had smiled to himself.
(Credit: Google)
As they had finished the scene together, RV who was a man of few words, had surveyed them under his scrutinising gaze and had then smirked, nodding with approval while looking into the screen before him. The cousins cum best friends had been chatting away happily after pack up when Rajveer had called them for the final time before calling it a day. First, he had shown them the edited version of Draupadi's birth scene, looking at which, Krish had been pleasantly surprised and Diya once again, lost in deep thought.
(Credit: Google)
But the next thing he had said had rudely brought her out of her reverie. "We'll start early in the morning for Umargaon tomorrow and by noon we should start with yours and Arjun's first scene. So get good sleep. It is going to be a long day tomorrow."
...
Both Diya and Arjun had been dreading the day when they would have to face each other again. In fact, according to RV's orders, they had been told to strictly avoid meeting each other -- which obviously was a relief -- and resort to method acting. He wanted them to get in the skin of their respective characters and hence the restrictions. But now, the time had finally come, their first scene together was tomorrow and Arjun could feel his heart resign to the circumstances.
He had taken up the role to find himself, the self that he had lost on his way to stardom. During the look test he had said his lines with ardour and intensity and the team had complimented him on just how seamlessly he had managed. Arjun had been pleased with the progress as he had gotten completely into the shoes of his character, except one day, when he had held the bow for the first time, a few days into filming. He had been under intense training, strenuously working with conviction to have his body suit the role and meet its requirements; this had included learning archery and a few basic warfare tricks. But when he had been asked to hold the elaborately ornate bow on set, which was to be his companion for the rest of the movie, the infamous Gandiva, he had been mesmerised by the sinuous body of the intricate dhanush, which had moulded perfectly in his grip, almost like a body part. Well, scratch the almost, it seemed a part of his body, they were just perfect!
But soon after, he had got immersed in shooting for the film and had forgotten all about that sensation when his supposed Gandiva had made him feel goosebumps. But over the few weeks, he had missed that sensation, confused over why he wasn't using that same bow for archery in those introduction scenes, and was then told about the whole story of how the real Arjun had acquired the precious bow created by Lord Brahma. That was for the first time, when a strange bout of familiarity had struck him right in his face, taking him by instant and prolonged surprise.
All that had happened two weeks ago, and now he was sitting in his vanity van, preparing himself for his first scene with Diya. They had all returned from one schedule in Cherrapunji very early in the morning, actually at dawn, and shooting had begun soon after landing. His heart, much to his annoyance was beating rapidly and memories of the past, the ones which he had buried deep inside, came to him in flashes. A small smile almost came to his lips, almost, before he slammed his fist into the wall and angrily stormed out of the vehicle. While he was aimlessly walking somewhere, blinded by his fury, the memory of a few days ago clouded his mind.
Arjun had been staying in a lavish apartment allotted to him for whenever they would be in Umargaon. He was in the balcony when suddenly he heard an uproar from downstairs, since the venue of shooting that day wasn't too far away. His mind warned him against going down, since he knew that Diya was shooting there but his restless heart lured him and he didn't seem to realise, but in a few minutes he was standing on the threshold of the building.
A breathless man was running, shouting, "Water! Water!" when Arjun stopped him. Although the person seemed in quite a hurry, but the poor man couldn't refuse the mighty ASK, of whom he was a huge fan himself. So, he told him about how Diya madam's clothes had caught fire suddenly and thus the whole unit was worried to death.
But Arjun had ceased to hear anything after 'Diya and fire' were spoken in the same sentence. Unknowingly, concern took over his senses and he conveniently ignored the fact that there were about four hundred people on set who would have rushed to her before him. When he had finally reached the area, completely out of breath, he began searching for the one who had affected him so much. While walking through what seemed to look like a dark lane of green rooms, he saw three shadows against the faint yellow light of an ancient bulb and peeped inside. There, to his relief, he had seen RV and a glimpse of Diya. His first thought was to take her in his arms and see if she was alright but his good sense had prevailed just in time when he had caught a part of the conversation, something about minor burns and a sentence which sounded like, "Easy there tigress, we don't want you to set the world aflame with the fire you just came out of. It's good you are alright, or someone wouldn't have been able to breathe." He knew that RV had been pointing at him, and that the man was smart enough to know that if he got a whiff of what happened he would come for HIS Diya.
He had then hidden behind a turn at the end of the lane after that and had come out only once RV was a safe distance away. His brain had chided him for even thinking of that woman and her well-being but his heart had not relented this time, like it had been doing for over three years. Catching a last glimpse at the side profile of the alluring woman dressed in orange and a sneak of her waist that had, at its first sight, evoked hidden desires in him before being hidden by the curtain of her thick wig, he had walked away, immersed in the labyrinth of his emotions. He had come to hate the so called signs of romance, his heart had learnt to burn the images of any roses.
Arjun was breathing fire as he muttered about the incompetency of people, with Saket tailing behind him and was about to shout to RV when immediately his assistant reminded him that shooting was going on, and as if on cue, RV shouted, "Call ASK someone, the shot is ready."
That had got him going and he had had to set his mood right, because RV could be the most annoying taskmaster when he needed to get rid of the starry tantrums, that Arjun...no...ASK had learnt very well in the past few days. RV frowned a little on seeing him but sighed when he looked at the settings of the temple and then back at him. The scene -- which was to be shot in one go and not split like others he had shot -- was then described to him and the actor who was playing Bheem, the second of the Pandavas.
(Credit: Google)
Arjun looked around, his curiosity carefully veiled by arrogance, when Rajveer's voice came from behind, "Tom is looking for Jerry. Well, too bad the rat is already inside her bill. We'll start from the entering of Draupadi's carriage, call Diya from that 'Vehicle of Narcissists'. Everyone, take your positions, SILENCE!" he shouted the last part of his sentence. Arjun smirked dryly before going inside the temple, patting Bheem's shoulder, whom along with the others Pandavas, he had befriended in a few days.
"Sound? Camera rolling? Lights, Camera, and Action!"
...
The wheels of the rustic horse-drawn carriage came to a halt and the radiant beauty, the princess of Panchal stepped down gracefully, as she walked into the Shiva Mandir, led by an entourage of royal guards, who were now bowing their head with respect. The main temple was vacated, so as to not disturb the princess, which were strict orders to them from their senapati, princess Shikhandini.
A grand swayamvar had been arranged for the princess the next day, and anxiously she had come to seek answers from her lord Shiva. The princess ordered loneliness as she prayed to her lord for any kind of sign, just one signal of her future husband, the one she would love for eternity. As she closed her eyes a white carnation flew into her lap from the thaal that she had offered before the Shivling. Taking it as a sign, she rushed down the stairs in hope of finding what she had come looking for.
Meanwhile, Arjun had entered the temple, and seeing his older brother enjoy the feast that had been arranged for the Brahmins, he decided to go around the premises of the infamous mandir. Just then, he felt the air change, a presence that he had never felt before as a cool breeze blew past him. Curious, he searched for nothing in particular and hurried down the powdered stone steps. A few moments later, the princess too started walking down the same stone steps with her flower clutched tightly in her hand, when she suddenly felt her feet sink into an already marked pair of footsteps. She closed her eyes, relishing the sudden fluttering of her heart, as she clutched the flower even tighter and finally opened her eyes. She was being led to her sign.
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Her heartbeats had turned erratic and she was curiously looking around when her first little friend, the daughter of one of the palace's maidservants tugged her sari and asked her to hurry up before pulling the princess along, with her tiny hands, in what seemed like a herculean task for her. Disappointed, the princess started following her but her eyes never left her surroundings, searching for that one sign.
While the princess' back was facing the crowd that had gathered for one glimpse of the divine beauty of their kingdom's pride as she started climbing the stairs of her curtained carriage, Arjun was at the same place. Eager to know what had caused the excitement and uproar among the common subjects, he too joined the crowd which had now started to retreat. As he reached the front, all he saw was a back and then a carriage, which seemed to belong to a member of the royal family. A blurred silhouette appeared from behind the curtain, and being a royal himself, he immediately knew that there was a princess or queen inside. Also, he had heard about the new, fire-born princess from the potter, whose hut they were hiding in for the time being and he became extremely curious, unknowingly frowning at the stupid curtains, but then suddenly a hand appeared and they parted slightly, before opening fully, and then appeared the most angelic face he had ever seen in his life. His eyes widened and his eyebrows raised in ill-conceited surprise as his hazel eyes seared into her dark, lotus ones. Her hair was elaborately styled with gold ornaments in her plait, which rested on one side, while she was laden with elegant jewellery. The princess made a stunning sight in her red to orange ombre sari. As he continued to stare at her heatedly, she lowered her eyes a little while a deep crimson settled on her cheeks, a small smile playing on both their lips even as the coachman started the carriage. Even as they drifted apart, their gaze never left each other and the two forgot to blink, completely, and finally, when she was out of sight. Finally, Arjun stood there, only one name playing on his lips, "Draupadi!"
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He was broken out of his reverie when a loud voice sounded in his ears, "Cut it!"
TBC
A/N - So, here are the facts about mythology!
Fact: Krishna and Draupadi were best friends, who met soon after Draupadi was born. They knew each other before Arjun met Draupadi. It is said, that Krishna loved them both dearly.
She was a friend in need, he became her saviour, and theirs was a bond which became an epitome of friendship!
Fact: The Pandavas were five brothers who were said to be the strongest in all of Bharat. They were the righteous warriors who fought against their evil cousins, the Kauravas for the throne of Hatinapur. They won the Kurukshetra war.
Bheem was the second Pandava, and he was the strongest with a huge built. It is said that he could make a whole fort crumble with his one attack. Also, his love for food is infamous.
Fact: Arjun and Draupadi are said to be avatars of Shiva and Parvati.
Senapati - The chief of an army.
Swayamvar - A competition arranged for princesses during ancient times to choose the best husband for them amongst the many kings and princes.
Fact: Shikhandini was the daughter of Maharaja of Panchal, Drupad. She was the sister of Draupadi, who later became a male, Shikhandi. The most famous theory about this conversion is that she was the incarnation of Amba, the princess of Kashi who Bheeshma won for his half-brother, Vichitravirya during her Swayamvar. Her younger sisters, Ambika and Ambalika did not have a problem did not have any problem but she was in love with Salva, the king of Saubha. When Bheeshma got to know about it, he sent her to the king, who refused her. Enraged, she sought help from everyone she could, but failed and eventually decided to commit suicide. But she was granted a boon from lord Shiva, that she would be the reason of Bheeshma's ultimate death in her next birth. Ultimately, she was reborn as Shikhandini who became Shikhandi when Bheeshma had to be killed during the Kurukshetra war since women were not allowed on the battlefield.
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Edited by 8520NK - 10 years ago
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