Gippy Grewal Discusses the Toughest Challenge in Filming ‘Akaal’

Mumbai, April 8 (NationPress) The Punjabi actor-singer Gippy Grewal shared insights about the most formidable challenge he faced while shooting for his eagerly awaited film, “Akaal.”

While many might think that the action-filled war scenes or the emotional segments would present the greatest hurdles, Gippy disclosed that the true difficulty stemmed from an unexpected area of the production. He emphasized that the major challenge revolved around the essential skill of horse riding, which many of the actors lacked experience in.

The ‘Ardaas’ star mentioned in an interview with IANS, “The most challenging aspect was the horsework. A majority of the actors hadn’t ridden horses prior to this, making it quite tough. Nowadays, there are simpler methods to simulate horse riding using fake horses, but I preferred to minimize that. It wouldn’t create the same effect. You don’t experience the full impact unless you are actually on a live horse.”

“I had to persuade the actors extensively, and I even rode a horse myself for the film. It’s a challenge because sometimes the animals are cooperative, while other times they are not. On several occasions, the horses threw the actors off, which frightened them. This added another layer of difficulty, especially during a war scene, where we needed to ensure everyone's safety. That was tough,” Gippy elaborated.

Gippy also unveiled that the obstacles began even before the cameras started rolling.

“A lot of thoughts were swirling in my mind when I began crafting the story for Akaal. It had been a long-awaited project, and there were numerous factors to consider. There were tasks I needed to complete and elements I had to think through. The journey was filled with challenges, but that’s part of the process, particularly with a project and role of this magnitude. It was a high-budget film, and we had a lot to learn. We had to determine how to approach it and what actions to take.”

One of the key challenges arose with several crucial scenes in the movie. Gippy explained that there were a couple of significant moments where the team felt that if they pursued their original concept, it might not succeed. “We had to devise alternative versions of those scenes. I didn’t want anything in the film to feel off or below standard. I aimed for everything to resonate with the audience and leave them with a positive feeling,” he stated.

Interestingly, Gippy Grewal takes on a triple role in the upcoming film “Akaal” as the star, director, and writer. The film features a skilled ensemble cast, including Nimrat Khaira, Apinderdeep Singh, Mita Vashisht, Prince Kanwaljit Singh, Nikitin Dheer, Gurpreet Ghuggi, Shinda Grewal, Ekom Grewal, and Jaggi Singh.

“Akaal” is set to premiere in cinemas on April 10, 2025, and will be presented in both Punjabi and Hindi.