While Vidya Balan who considers herself half Bengali had herself a ball in Kolkata last week shooting for Rajkumar Gupta’s No One Killed Jessica. Rani Mukherjee who is a fully certified Bengali was not to be seen in her home-town.
Going by the way Vidya’s shooting schedule went in Kolkata, it was all for the best if Rani stayed away.
Apparently, the 2-day schedule had to be shot with secret cameras in prominent public places where the security was most inadequate.
Says the source, “We had to shoot in crowded locations like the Kolkata airport, Ballyganj, Park Circus, and New Market. The crowds in these places were impossible to control. We had placed the cameras secretly. Vidya would then get into camera range and before the bystanders recognized the star we were out. If Rani had also accompanied Vidya it would’ve been impossible to control”.
Director Rajkumar Gupta is tightlipped about the details in Kolkata. “All I can tell you is that shooting in Kolkata was even tougher than Delhi. But it was fun. By now I am used to shooting in crowded main streets with my actors. It was the last two days of shooting. On the second day after we finished (dress designer) Sabysachi Chakraborty who belongs to Kolkata, took the entire unit out for dinner. We had some terrific Bengali food. We celebrated till the wee hours”. Rani, alas, was no part of the celebration.
