13 Deaf Kids shoot at minus 10 Degrees for ‘The Silent Heroes’

Mumbai, Sep 2: Thirteen deaf children, the heroes of debutant director Mahesh Bhatt’s film “The Silent Heroes” shot in extreme temperatures (going down to minus 10 degrees Celsius) and harsh conditions to successfully complete the shooting of their film.

“As per the script demand when we were shooting in the icy areas, all the roads were blocked and the temperature hovered around minus 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. We had set up camps in these temperatures and were taking shots of the children’s commute sequences in such extreme weather, which was an extremely challenging task. The kids worked in a courageous manner despite the roads getting slippery,” Bhatt, all excited as his first film is nearing release, told IANS about the challenging shooting schedule.

The crew shot at Uttarkhand’s Gangotri valley and most of the areas in Uttarakhand are at tragedy-risk and a substantial number of areas have already been washed away in the floods of 2013.

“We had taken all possible safety precautions for the kids. But still it was a mammoth task for us to shoot at the Ganga for the rafting sequences, as the water was at freezing temperatures. But despite the numerous hardships, the kids showcased their true spirit by shooting without grumbling and giving the best shots,” said the director.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui had also praised Khwaish, one of the deaf child actors of the film. And among the other child actors, Jaideep is one of Bhatt’s favourite from the cast. Jaideep’s blind father has only one dream – to have his son at a position where the world sees him with immense respect.

The film is about the courage of 13 real deaf children who set out on an adventurous journey across the mountainous terrains of Uttarakhand. The film is slated to release by September’s last week.