The mystery and mysticism of Kashi is what drew us to shoot there, says Akash Srivatsa

When Akash Srivatsa’s script for Daiji required a location steeped in history, he had several options. “But a historian told me there’s no better place than Kashi for this theme. Above all, Kashi brims with mystery, mysticism, spirituality, religion, and tradition. The soul of Kashi resonates with our film, and that alone was reason enough for us to shoot there,” says Akash. The Ramesh Aravind and Radhika Narayan starrer recently wrapped its shoot in the historic city.
‘ONCE WE ARRIVED, I DECIDED TO SHOOT IN REAL-TIME LOCATIONS WITH THE ACTUAL CROWD'
“The city is teeming with devotees all day, and the flow of people at the holy sites is nonstop. At night, it gets even more vibrant. Once we arrived, I decided to shoot in real-time locations with the actual crowd. So whether it was the ghats, the tiny temples in the gullies, or the Ganga Aarti— every corner of Kashi has been captured in the film. To shoot in a city mentioned in the Puranas itself is a huge blessing,” he tells us.

HISTORY BY DAY, FILMING BY NIGHT
“It’s not often that you get to shoot a film in Kashi. I’ve heard that Kashi calls you—you don’t decide to go there. So during the day, we explored its many temples, its hidden nooks, and of course indulged in its famous lassis, kachoris, and paans. At night, we shot, and that felt incredibly energising. When we wrapped, we all attended the Ganga Aarti, and it was the perfect conclusion to our film,” says Akash.



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