Yeh haathi nahi Sharad ka saathi

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sheetal

@sheetald

Rocker

Posted: 20 years ago

Sharad Kelkar on the sets of Saat Phere

We have heard of stars and actors walking out of shoots. But ever heard about an elephant who threw a tantrum by making an exit from the show? The incident happened on the sets of Zee's Saat Phere where actor Sharad Kelkar and others were shooting for a wedding scene.

Elephant kidnaps actors

As per the script Nahar (Sharad) was set to make a grand entry in the mandap on the back of an elephant named Pajmala. However what followed was something the scriptwriter hadn't pencilled in.

Not only did Pajmala walk out the set with Sharad and another child actor, Gaurav Bajaj, on his back but also refused to sit down and let them get off.

Nakhrewala haathi

An eyewitness from the show describes the scene, "It was one of the most hilarious as well as scary things I have ever seen.

Something was wrong with the elephant that night, as he refused to follow the instructions of the mahout.

When he was told to walk through the gate towards the mandap the animal refused. Then it started moving around on its own will, with Sharad and Gaurav still sitting on it back. Everyone was worried that the matter would go out of control."

We hear that it took almost six hours to can that one shot which needed the elephant. "Since Sharad was already on the elephant in his costume, we couldn't shoot him separately. Also getting him off the back of the animal was another experience altogether."

Animal gave attitude

When asked about the trauma he went through, Sharad laughingly said, "It was the most stubborn elephant I have ever seen. Not only did it show me attitude but also ended up giving me a horrible back pain. Initially, when I sat on him with Gaurav, everything seemed normal. However, within minutes we realised the animal was on its own trip. It was not obeying the mahout."

What were the exact thoughts in his mind when it happened? "I was nervous, as Gaurav was scared, and crying. It took more than an hour for the animal to sit down and let us off. Till then my back was aching tremendously as I was sitting in an awkward position. Trust me an elephant's back isn't one of the most comfortable places."

He wasn't trained

Sharad had to eventually jump off the elephant's back while it was standing. "I had no other option but to jump. I couldn't afford to sit there waiting for the animal to sit down. I think it wasn't well trained which is why the fiasco happened."