‘Felt like adventure trip’

Pankaj Tripathi

After shooting projects back-to-back through the second-half of 2021, it's time for Pankaj Tripathi to sit back and enjoy the releases. Gulkanda Tales, which reunites him with showrunners Raj-DK after their sleeper hit Stree (2018), will be one of his first offerings of the year. The Amazon Prime Video series is reportedly a satire with Raj-DK's signature brand of humour, and was shot extensively in Ladakh.

As much as he was in awe of Ladakh's natural beauty, Tripathi says that filming in the high altitudes was challenging. While the first two days of the schedule were kept free so that the cast and crew could acclimatise, Tripathi and co-star Kunal Kemmu were thereon assigned fitness coaches who helped them pull off the physically demanding sequences. "The lined-up scenes needed a certain level of fitness.

Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK

The coaches trained us so that we could [effortlessly] run on inclined slopes and tough terrains. Shooting there felt like being on an adventure trip. As much as it was physically draining, I enjoyed every day of the schedule," grins the actor.

Teaming up with Raj-DK for the period drama has him elated. Tripathi praises them, saying, "Raj-DK are superlative at their work. It's always such a delight to collaborate with them. It is challenging to shoot a visually grand show, but they ensured that the mood on the set was always vibrant."