How Raakh's Disturbing Scenes With Children Were Shot: 'We Had Code Words, A Child Psychologist On Set'

Raakh is a series everyone has been talking about. Inspired by the infamous Ranga Billa case of 1978, in which two children were brutally murdered in the national capital, the crime drama has left viewers shaken with its dark and disturbing portrayal of the events.

The series contains several intense sequences depicting violence and sexual assault. Speaking to NDTV, actor Aakash Makhija, who plays the primary antagonist Babu, opened up about the extensive precautions taken while filming such scenes, especially those involving children.

According to Aakash, the production ensured that safety protocols were in place from the very beginning. The cast worked closely with intimacy coach Kanak and action director Salam Dada, who supervised the physically demanding and emotionally challenging scenes throughout the shoot.

“There was an intimacy coach, Kanak. She was there. There was an action director also, Salam dada. Throughout the show, you will see there is a lot of physical violence. But they both were there to kind of take care of it,” said Aakash.

He revealed that workshops were conducted before filming began, allowing actors to establish personal boundaries and communicate their comfort levels. The team also used code words that could immediately halt a scene if anyone felt uncomfortable.

“We actually went through exercises where we could point out when and where we wanted to stop. There were code words also, so if I say that everyone would stop,” he recalled.

Director Prosit Roy explained that an entirely separate protocol was followed whenever child actors were involved. To ensure that children were not exposed to repeated performances of violent scenes, filming schedules were carefully planned.

“When we are shooting with a kid, we are only shooting with a kid. These guys are not performing on the side. When we are shooting with them then the kid is not there most of the time,” Roy said.

The filmmaker added that a child psychologist was present on set to help young actors understand the context of the scenes and ensure that they felt safe throughout the process. Parents were also present during filming.

One of the most challenging sequences, featured in Episode 8, was meticulously storyboarded and choreographed in advance. Roy compared the process to planning a dance routine, with every actor knowing exactly where to move and what to do.

Aakash also recalled filming a train scene with a young girl. When she became slightly uneasy during the shoot, he spent time reassuring her and showing her personal photographs to remind her that he was not the frightening character she was seeing on screen.

Raakh, starring Ali Fazal, Sonali Bendre and Aamir Bashir in the lead roles, premiered on Prime Video on June 12.