The Making of Sharpe's Peril |
| Last Update: 19 Oct 2008 |
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Our first filming location near Orchha alongside the river Betwa was in and around a ghat with several fine temples and mausoleums (some of which you will see on tv in the film) built in the 16th Century - the palace of the capital of the Bundela fraternity was in town a mile away and included several senana (areas where women were kept from prying eyes). A pilgrimage is still made to the ghat each November to worship a king named Ram Vivah but at other times only vultures, the odd tourist and a resident 'holy man' can be seen there. The spectacular 'opening procession' filmed in the Orchha temple ghat involved a column of mounted actors, our faithful sepoys, civilian extras, elephants, bullock-carts, camels and goats (the Armoury Dept 'shanghaied' at gunpoint and inserted our tea-wallah at the rear) overall 250 meters in length and brought in a big crowd of appreciative locals and every tourist for miles around. As is usual on location anywhere in the world, a few Sharpe fans pop up especially to see us - visitors usually receive a 'go and see Richard' on arrival - and I met one family who had taken two days out from their holiday to come and see us as their Grandfather was a massive Sharpe fan so I took them under my wing and took them over to meet principal actors and have their photos taken with some of them. On another occasion, one girl who showed by her knowledge she was a long-term Sharpe fan on being dragged over by me by hand into the set - was dumbfounded and she just stood there with her mouth agape faced with her favourite star and it was left to me to do the introductions and take her photograph before leading her away : much to the amusement of her friends, she left us still dumbfounded. Poor girl - the shock was just too much for her and despite promises and being given an e-mail address, I've never heard from her since. Sharpe does have that effect on people. |
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