Sammir Dattani risks life for a role

Mar 18, 2007 Subhash K. Jha

Mumbai, March 18 (IANS) Actor Sammir Dattani, who plays a government agent in his upcoming film "Mukhbiir", says he almost risked his life while shooting at a religious congregation for the movie.

The actor underwent rigorous physical and diction training for the role as well.

"A mullah was called for me to pronounce the religious terms in an alien language perfectly ... Not an easy task for someone who thinks in English. But I was determined to get it right."

Sammir not only learnt the language properly, he also got the culture, clothing and body language of a Hyderabadi youth so right that by the time the unit was ready to shoot in a volatile crowded religious congregation, he looked an absolute natural.

Recalls Sammir: "It was the ultimate test. If I got it wrong my life would have been in danger. They don't allow people from outside to enter their festivities. If you're caught your life is in danger because they have knives, swords, even guns, which they don't hesitate to use. I was left alone in a crowd of thousands while my director Mani Shankar shot with a secret camera from far away."

The entire unit was so distant there was nothing they could do if anything went wrong. "I had never been more scared in my life," Sammir exclaims.

His worst fears came true when a section of the congregation couldn't recognise him as one of their own. "They asked me my name. I told them my name in the film. They asked me to show them my ID card. Obviously I didn't have it. I fumbled in my pocket pretending to look for it. And then...I just ran for my life without looking back!"