Bejoy Nambiar ignored crew warnings to use real crocodile in Shanaya Kapoor-Adarsh Gourav led ‘Tu Yaa Main’: ‘Would be worth it’ |
Director Bejoy Nambiar says he took a calculated risk on his upcoming thriller ‘Tu Yaa Main’ by filming parts of it with a real crocodile. Crew members cautioned him against it, but he pushed ahead because he wanted at least one shot that felt completely real. The film stars Adarsh Gourav and Shanaya Kapoor as two content creators who end up battling for survival during a deadly encounter. Nambiar said the crocodile work became one of the most demanding stretches of the shoot, and he remembers capturing nearly eight hours of footage with the reptile.
‘Tu Yaa Main’ director Bejoy Nambiar on choosing a real crocodile
As reported by Mid-Day, Nambiar said he did not expect to direct the project when he first heard it. “There’s a process Bejoy Nambiar follows. He usually directs only those films that have been written by him. Naturally then, he walked into Tu Yaa Main’s narration prepared to say no.” The script was written by Himanshu Sharma, Aanand L Rai, and Abhishek Bandekar. “I was immediately hooked,” he said, smiling.
Nambiar said the narration itself sold him on the film. “I enjoyed it so much that after the narration, I called my wife and said, ‘If the narration itself was this engaging, my job is to execute it honestly.’ Plus, this was a genre I hadn’t explored before.” Nambiar previously broke through with the 2011 crime drama ‘Shaitan.’Gourav was already cast while the script was being developed. Kapoor joined after two rounds of auditions. But Nambiar said the biggest challenge was deciding how to handle the crocodile on screen. He wanted to mix practical work with other tools, without losing the raw edge of a real animal. “We broke the shoot into three parts, real crocodile, animatronic crocodile, and VFX,” he said. Still, he insisted on using the live reptile for select moments. “Everyone told me not to shoot with a real crocodile. But I felt that even if I got one authentic shot, it would be worth it.”
How Bejoy Nambiar shot scenes with a live reptile?
The team chose a crocodile farm in Thailand after also looking at Australia and Indonesia. Nambiar said safety planning drove the schedule and the setup. “We had four wranglers, a local safety team, and a small crew,” he said.They filmed the animal alone first to avoid surprises. “We first shot the crocodile alone for half a shift, letting it get used to the environment. Only after that did we bring the actors in.” Over time, he said, it settled into a routine. “After a point, the crocodile was so used to the wranglers that it almost felt like working with a trained animal. There was never a moment of aggression.”With the leads involved in some sequences, the production leaned on intense preparation. “We over-prepped. The entire second half was animated in advance. Every sequence was broken down shot by shot,” he said. He also kept his direction simple. “Focus only on these specific beats. Don’t think beyond that.”Nambiar said he also wanted to nod to ‘Khoon Bhari Maang,’ a crocodile reference many Indian viewers remember. He sought permission from Rakesh Roshan to use certain shots. “He was so gracious,” Nambiar said. “Later, he texted that he loved the trailer. I even heard from Rekha.”Bejoy Nambiar, born April 12, 1979, is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his work in Bollywood. He gained notice for his short films ‘Rahu’ and ‘Reflections,’ starring Mohanlal. He won Sony PIX Gateway to Hollywood for best director, judged by Ashok Amritraj, Rajat Kapoor, and Anurag Basu. Nambiar made his feature debut with ‘Shaitan’ (2011), then directed ‘David,’ ‘Wazir’ (2016), and ‘Taish’ (2020).
