Shot is the basic unit of a film. Each scene in a film is being built by compiling several shots. In the initial days, films were shot with maximum number of scenes, but very few shots. Later, after technical improvement, the number of shots went up as the directors started filming each shot from multiple cameras when the number of scenes got reduced. Now, some filmmakers are coming forward to shoot a complete film in a single take. Last year, German director Sebastian Schipper came up with his film Victoria, which was shot in a single take of 90-minute duration. And in Mollywood, a single-shot film is currently under post-production.
The movie 2 Days directed by Nissar is shot in a single take with a duration of 122 minutes. According to the makers, this film is expected to be the first longest single-take film in India captured in a movie camera. "We have heard about a Hindi film which is shot in a single take. As per our knowledge, it was filmed using a digital camera. In the meantime, my film 2 Days was completely shot in Red epic,” says Nissar.
Director Nissar on the sets of 2 Days
He is calling the shots for a film after a hiatus of six years. The director, whose last movie was Suresh Gopi-starrer Bullet, had helmed hit films such as Sudinam, Three Men Army, Aparanmar Nagarathil, Auto Brothers and Dupe Dupe Dupe. Quizzed about the motive behind this experimental film, he says, “It was the subject of the film which prompted me to shoot it in a single take. When my screenwriter narrated the story, I was imagining it without any cuts and scene division, which was quite interesting. I have watched Victoria in a film festival and that too has inspired me to go ahead with this venture.”
As the whole film was supposed to be shot in a single take, the director instructed the whole cast and crew to undergo a detailed rehearsal. “We had gone for a six-day rehearsal before the shoot. All the technicians and actors were present for the practice session as I wanted to make them aware about the camera movements as we had to shoot the film without any cut. On the seventh day, we went for the take. But owing to certain problems, I had to call cut at 33rd minute. So we had to go for a second take and fortunately, that became perfect. We have filmed three songs and a DJ party amid this shot,” says Nissar.
The cast and crew of the film
The entire filming happened at Thiruvananthapuram. Jayan R. Unnithan, who is the former assistant of P. Sukumar is the cinematographer of this landmark film. Tamil actor Samuthirakani plays the lead role in 2 Days, which has Riyaz Khan, Sunil Sukhada, Anagha, Digina, Deepika and Gouri in pivotal roles. The director says he did not face any difficulty while attempting the new style. “I have been in the industry for last two decades. Majority of my films were completed in a short period. My Three Men Army, which had Dileep in the lead role, was completed in 17 days. The entire production of 2 Days happened after a perfect rehearsal; that made me more comfortable.
Earlier, a complete Malayalam film was shot in a single day using different units, but mine is the first Malayalam movie shot in a single take,” he says, adding, “We could regulate the production cost too. My producers Jayanandan and Suneer Khan offered full support knowing that they were funding an experimental film.” The director, who is gearing up for the release of another venture Dance Dance, is currently busy with the post-production of 2 Days. The film is expected to reach screens post Onam.
