For Arjan Bajwa, making Rustom was an experience that went far beyond simply shooting a period film. The production recreated 1950s Mumbai in considerable detail, from costumes and cars to the overall atmosphere, allowing the actors to step into a world that looked and felt very different from their own.
“Every day was a different story because you were literally transported into 1950s Mumbai,” Arjan recalls.
The period setting became an important part of the experience for the cast. “You were dressing up differently, there were different cars, there was a different setup. And it was quite memorable that way,” he says.
But one particular day remains especially memorable for Arjan, although for a completely different reason. He had a scene with Ileana D’Cruz in which his character was required to smoke.
“There was a scene between me and Ileana. And I was supposed to be smoking in that scene, take a drag, blow the smoke out on her face, and then turn, and it was a scene devised like that,” he recalls.
The scene might have appeared simple on screen, but repeating it during rehearsals proved physically demanding. Arjan does not smoke regularly, which made the repeated takes particularly difficult.
“To do the rehearsals, they made me light up a cigarette six times, take the first drag, and blow the smoke out,” he says.
The effect was almost immediate. After repeatedly smoking for the scene, he began experiencing a physical reaction that forced him to step away from the shoot. He eventually had to take a break before he could return to the scene.
“I had to rest for half an hour to regain myself with proper energy, and completely become normal,” he says.
What could have been just another anecdote from a film set instead became a personal reminder of the physical consequences of smoking. The experience stayed with him long after the scene was completed.
“I remember that day very well, and definitely it made me realise how dangerous smoking is, and how it affects you if you have to do it continuously like that,” he says.
His conclusion from the experience is considerably simpler: “So yes… no smoking.”
