Haathi
Mere
Saathi,
the
highly
anticipated
multi-lingual
project
is
gearing
up
for
a
grand
theatrical
release
on
March
26,
2021.
The
project,
which
is
directed
by
Prabhu
Solomon,
features
Rana
Daggubati
in
the
lead
role.
The
movie
is
releasing
in
Tamil
with
the
title
Kaadan,
and
in
Telugu
as
Aranya.
In
an
exclusive
interview
with
Filmibeat,
director
Prabhu
Solomon
opened
up
about
Haathi
Mere
Saathi.
Here
is
what
the
filmmaker
has
to
say...
1.
Haathi
Mere
Saathi/Kaadan
is
your
first
pan-Indian
film.
How
different
was
it
to
work
for
a
multi-lingual
project?
It
was
a
big
challenge
for
me.
But
I
always
had
a
passion
to
do
films
based
on
real-life
incidents,
and
I
got
a
chance
to
do
a
pan-Indian
film.
Especially,
having
around
18
elephants
on
sets
every
day
was
not
an
easy
job.
But
it
was
a
completely
new
experience
and
I
thoroughly
enjoyed
it.
2.
Haathi
Mere
Saathi
is
based
on
real-life
incidents.
What
made
you
choose
this
particular
subject?
Elephants
are
really
connected
with
humans,
despite
being
the
second-largest
animal
in
the
world.
They
are
very
emotional
in
nature.
When
we
got
a
chance
to
do
this
film
which
is
based
on
a
man-animal
conflict,
we
decided
to
proceed.
It
is
based
on
an
incident
that
happened
in
Assam.
3.
Elephants
play
a
pivotal
part
in
this
film.
How
was
your
experience
working
with
the
4-legged
cast.
Was
it
exciting?
It
was
a
very
tough
job.
Even
though
we
have
elephants
in
India,
we
didn't
get
permission
to
shoot.
So
we
shot
the
film
majorly
in
Thailand.
Even
though
the
country
permits
shooting
with
elephants,
they
have
restrictions.
We
were
supposed
to
wind
up
the
shoot
within
4
to
5
hours
every
day
and
give
them
proper
rest.
So,
all
the
artists
worked
according
to
the
elephants'
call
sheet.
4.
Kumki,
one
of
your
most
loved
outings
in
Tamil
Cinema,
also
dealt
with
the
elements
of
forest
and
wildlife.
Was
it
challenging
to
work
on
a
bigger
project
that
involves
these
factors?
Kumki
had
a
simpler
script
and
making.
It
was
a
love
story
that
was
commercially
well-packed
with
songs
and
light
situations.
But
Haathi
Mere
Saathi
had
an
entirely
different
style
of
making.
The
scope
for
adding
commercial
elements
was
very
less,
as
it
is
supposed
to
be
a
raw
film.
This
film
is
based
on
elephants,
where
in
Kumki,
elephant
was
just
another
character.
5.
How
did
Rana
Daggubati
come
on
board
for
the
film?
We
thought
of
a
few
actors
for
this
actor,
but
later
felt
that
Rana
Daggubati
is
a
good
choice.
Later,
he
did
auditions
and
look
test
for
his
part.
We
felt
that
he
is
perfect
for
the
role,
and
he
came
on
board.
7.
How
was
it
to
work
with
two
different
set
of
actors
for
the
same
film,
simultaneously?
All
the
actors
were
excited
to
work
on
a
film
about
elephants.
It
was
not
the
usual
film
set
that
had
a
filmy
atmosphere.
Because
in
the
forest,
we
didn't
have
caravans.
It
was
difficult
to
get
range
on
mobiles
or
internet
facility.
So
we
spent
time
like
a
big
family,
which
is
impossible
in
a
normal
set
nowadays.
When
the
Tamil
and
Telugu
cast
were
shooting,
the
Hindi
cast
members
including
Pulkit
Samrat
used
to
stand
behind
the
camera
with
me.
The
entire
team
stayed
and
worked
together
throughout
the
shoot.
8.
How
did
the
casting
happen?
Was
it
difficult
to
pitch
a
multi-starrer
with
the
leading
actors
being
from
all
major
industries?
When
we
approached
the
actors,
all
of
them
immediately
agreed
to
be
a
part
of
this
project.
If
any
of
the
actors
had
even
a
bit
of
ego,
this
project
wouldn't
have
been
possible.
We
shot
the
film
in
real
locations,
mostly
using
natural
light.
The
schedule
used
to
change
according
to
the
availability
of
elephants.
The
team
used
to
cook
together
as
there
were
no
restaurants
nearby.
If
the
actors
were
not
cooperative,
this
wouldn't
have
been
possible.
9.
Was
waiting
for
a
theatrical
release
and
not
going
the
OTT
way
difficult
amidst
the
pandemic?
Not
really.
This
film
is
solely
released
for
the
theatres,
it
is
not
designed
for
OTT.
We
can't
enjoy
a
film
like
Haathi
Mere
Saathi
on
a
television
or
mobile
screen.
Theatre
release
was
the
only
option
for
us.
10.
How
did
you
spend
time
amidst
the
lockdown?
I
was
busy
with
the
post-production
of
Haathi
Mere
Saathi.
Since
there
was
a
lot
of
time,
we
completed
the
work
peacefully
with
no
pressure.
We
were
able
to
polish
the
film
properly
during
this
period.
11.
Tell
us
about
your
upcoming
projects
I'm
yet
to
think
about
my
next
project.
Currently,
my
priority
is
Haathi
Mere
Saathi.