22 Mumbai buildings 'auditioned' for key role in Rajkummar Rao's 'Trapped'

Rajkummar Rao in a still from the film 'Trapped'

If you thought landing the right hero for your film was key to the project's success, think again. For Vikramaditya Motwane's upcoming film, 'Trapped', finding the right skyscraper was as important as zeroing in on Rajkummar Rao as protagonist. The film unfolds on its 30th floor.

When an edifice is as important as the protagonist of a film, it takes just as long to zero in on it as it does to lock an actor.

For his upcoming thriller, filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane and his team recced no less than 22 buildings across the city before they found the unoccupied skyscraper they were looking for, in Parel. Starring Rajkummar Rao, Trapped is a survival drama and tells the story of a person locked in an apartment for days without food, water or electricity.

A source says, to ensure authenticity, the makers shot on the 30th floor of the building which had an elevator operating only till the floor that housed the sample flat, ie the 25th floor. The crew would climb five floors every day, lugging equipment with them. At times, when the elevator didn't function, they'd have no choice but to climb all 30 floors.

Vikramaditya said, "The building is as good as the main character in the film. So, selecting the right location was a key decision. The building and its immediate surroundings had to be considered before we finalised it. Yes, we did go through multiple options."

Rajkummar Rao in a still from the film 'Trapped'

The filmmaker best remembered for the critically acclaimed, Udaan (2010), returns to the big screen after a four-year break.

Why the sabbatical, we ask. "I was busy making Bhavesh Joshi. The film kick-started twice and was stalled. I am glad that it's finally happening. I was also busy with production of movies under the Phantom Films banner, and that's when I was approached for Trapped."