Mumbai, Jul 15 (IANS): Director Aditya Sarpotdar, who is receiving a lot of positive responses to his recently released horror-comedy film ‘Kakuda’, has shared how he integrated local folklore, traditions, and cultural nuances into the plot.
The film is set in a town on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and the team wanted to capture the unique cultural essence of this region.
The director said, “We found that using the Braj dialect, a local variant of Hindi, added a lot of humour and authenticity to the story. Extensive research was conducted to integrate local folklore, traditions, and cultural nuances. To make the film feel rooted and authentic, we prioritised shooting on live locations rather than using sets. Although our first preference was to shoot in Uttar Pradesh, the pandemic made it practically impossible due to the high number of cases.”
He further mentioned that they recreated the structural references of a UP town in Vaso, Gujarat, which had a similar architecture.
He continued, “We made modifications to the houses to make them look like those in Uttar Pradesh. The costumes, behaviour, and the crowd all contributed to the world-building in the film. Our team did extensive research to ensure these elements were accurate and reflective of the region. The actors were also very supportive and adaptable when shooting in these live locations, helping to enhance the film's authenticity.”
Talking about the challenges during the filming, he said, “One of the biggest challenges while filming Kakuda was that we shot this film during the second wave of the pandemic. Obtaining permissions was difficult, and assembling a large number of people in one area for the shoot was nearly impossible due to government restrictions.”
“The film required extensive visual effects and numerous action sequences, involving a large cast and crew. Despite these challenges, we are grateful for the support extended by the Gujarat government, which provided us with the necessary resources and permissions to complete the shooting of the film successfully,” he added.
‘Kakuda’ is streaming on ZEE5.