Adventurous chase sequences and the foot-tapping Mashallah number in Ek Tha Tiger have charmed all Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif fans. Behind the perfect setting for each of the scenes was the vision of ace art director and Bollywood’s well-known set-designer Sukant Panigrahy. The Odia boy, who has more than 20 Hindi films to his credit, shared his Ek Tha Tiger experience and more with t2.

How challenging was designing the sets of this much-awaited film?

The fact is that lesser the budget, greater are the challenges to design the sets. Yet, Ek Tha Tiger had its own challenges. Since most parts were shot in Turkey, Dublin and Cuba and I was taking care of the sets in India, I had to watch the scenes shot abroad and match my sets for sequences with their continuity here in Delhi.

Set designer Sukant Panigrahy during the making of Ek Tha Tiger in Delhi

After New York, this is your second project with director Kabir Khan. Did that help?

It has always been a great experience working with Kabir. Usually directors are not much concerned about the sets when they are being created, but when the deadline nears they demand changes. With Kabir it is different, as he was always involved with every detail of the sets. Moreover, even for a commercial film he preferred a realistic set and not just a gorgeous make-believe world that the viewer knows is virtual and cannot relate to.

For Ek Tha Tiger, designing which part of the sets you found most challenging?

An action sequence set on a train, parts of which were shot in Turkey, was one of the most difficult. The set-up for action scenes are always tough to create since you have to ensure all those things that will be damaged during the fight are perfectly placed. Another scene in Ek Tha Tiger for which I had to create the interiors of an aeroplane was also tough. Thankfully there was help and a lot of learning from American set designers who were roped in for the film.

Your favourites from the film?

Without a second thought I would pick the Mashallah song. I have already received appreciation from veterans in the field of art direction and set designing for creating a Moroccan setting for this song. Giving every bit of this Moroccan backdrop a real look within just 15 days was very difficult, but the song looks beautiful and I’m happy about that. I’m also glad I could create the set of Salman’s house in the film within just four to five days.

It is usually the stars of a film who grab the audience’s attention. But not many spare a thought for people backstage.

It is true that the actors and filmmakers get noticed in almost all popular films. Unless the sets are lavish like that of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s films, set designing is not talked about much even though it takes a lot of hard work. But I wish to continue my work for sets that dissolve and blend into the film like I had done for Dev D or Aaja Nachle or even Chak De. To create more awareness about art direction and set designing in films I have started archiving videos on social networking sites so that people can watch the intricacies and hard work it takes.

What other Bollywood projects are you working on at present?

Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine, which is about to release, is one of my projects this year. I am also working on a Vidya Balan and Emraan Hashmi comedy Ghanchakkar.

Any plans to get involved in Odia films?

I usually visit Odisha every year during Bring Your Own Film Festival (BYOFF) held in Puri. This time I will be in Bhubaneswar in September to discuss my debut Odia project with filmmaker Kapilas Bhuyan.

Namita Panda