Location Diaries: A close shave – Vetri for Theenkirai

Express News Service

For his role in Theenkirai, Vetri had to sport a clean-shaven look for the first time in his career. “I play a mime artist in the film. When the director narrated this script, I was thrilled because I have learnt the art from Mime Gopi sir several years ago. Naturally, I was happy to perform on screen,” says Vetri. 

Before the shoot commenced in Hyderabad, Vetri underwent a brief rehearsal with a mime trainer for his portions. “In the scene, I had to perform for children with hearing and speech impairments. After the shot, I got an opportunity to interact with the children. I cherished this experience,” he says.

While filming for a stunt sequence, Vetri had to shoot at a construction site. “It was a night shoot where and we were at a location that had several buildings under construction. I had to run up a flight of stairs to the first floor, take a leap and jump to the building right next to it,” says Vetri who managed to complete the shot in one go. 

Apparently, it was only when he looked at the shot on the monitor, he realised how risky the shot was. “As it was dark, I could only see the part lit up for the camera on the first floor. Everything in between, including the ground below us, was totally dark. I later realised that construction materials like rods, pipes were all over the ground. Had I seen any of it, I might have become nervous about slipping and getting injured. It was a sobering thought,” he adds.

For another sequence, shot during the Hyderabad schedule, Vetri had to do a stunt scene in a 12-feet deep empty swimming pool. “The short required a fighter to stand outside the pool and throw a dummy flower pot at me,” he says.

However, as the filming progressed, the flower pot hit Vetri with force on the back of his head. “I felt a sharp pain. Since it was a dummy pot, I was totally taken by surprise at the unexpected pain it caused. I fell to the ground unconscious,” he recalls. 

Everyone rushed to his aid. “Luckily, it was the last shot for the day and thankfully, it didn’t disturb the rest of the shoot. It took two days to heal,” says a smiling Vetri.