We had to make the cast have brandy to keep warm: Shawn Arranha
Being a director is like being the team leader. Decisions need to be taken right from scratch to finish and managing the cast and crew of a film, which is quite a large number of people, is not an easy job! So obviously, while shooting Teraa Surroor I faced a couple of obstacles, which we successfully overcame.
For me, the trickiest part was the pressure involved while shooting the film, since we had a deadline to finish it and that too within an economical budget. My main objective with Teraa Surroor was to make the outcome look larger than life, glossy and stylish. We were clear from the start that we wanted it to be a sleek romantic-action-thriller. But how to go about it whilst sticking to the budget was a real pickle. Making a film in the designated budget is pretty challenging, because if you stick to a minimal budget, then you can manage to balance it out when the box office returns start rolling in. You require vision and mission to stick to the budget. We had a tight budget where we couldn't shoot lavishly and had to shoot smartly. So I had to get just the right technician and equipment, which I personally looked after.
The predicament faced by all directors is to choose an appropriate location. We shot Teraa Surroor in Dublin and it was freezing cold, with the temperature dropping to a chilly -4 degrees. At such a temperature it is literally impossible to step outdoors without 10 layers of clothes, forget shooting in the assigned costumes. To work around this problem, we had to make the cast and crew have brandy to keep warm, and to be able to deliver the required performance in the action scenes on the streets, and they nailed it!
In addition to that, working with an entire new team on a project is not easy since rapports need to be built and everybody needs to be comfortable with and around each other. One thought I always stick by when I work is that co-operation and teamwork is mandatory and the stepping-stone to success. Filmmaking is a team sport you cannot do alone, you need to surround yourself with great people. To cross this hurdle, I made it a point to sit with all my technicians from time to time and briefed them on my way of filmmaking and style of work, and they were so cooperative it was unreal.
All in all, in spite of the hardships faced by the entire cast and crew, Teraa Suroorr has turned out to be fabulous and just as I envisioned. I am so proud of my crew for all the hard work they've put in. I hope the audience can see the same and appreciate our film!
