Mumbai, Jan 19 (IANS): Actor Tahir Raj Bhasin has called the Ladakh shoot schedule of 'Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein' as the most challenging ever as it was physically draining given how thin the air becomes at high altitude.

The actor reveals, "I would call it the most challenging shoot schedule that I ever had. I have never shot in Ladakh before. We were shooting around March and it was around -7°C. When you go there to shoot you have to acclimatise to the surroundings as the oxygen level keeps changing. For three days we acclimatised to the climate. This was the time where the second wave had started in the metro cities."

"So I remember reaching the hotel on the second day and needing an oxygen cylinder for an hour because the air was that thin and it was scary for me because I didn't know at that stage whether it was Ladakh or whether it was Covid. So there was this air of anxiety along with the climate which was created by the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic. I tried to overcome that anxiety by trying to channel it into my work and that's where the strength came from", he adds.

Commenting on the weather conditions on the location, he says, "It was difficult because on the inside what you are trying to project is anger which is a heated emotion. But on the outside there are scenes where we are wearing four layers of gloves because otherwise you wouldn't feel your fingers. It is really a test of your endurance."

He continues, "Moreover, it was not really about whether you can act or not because once you are on the show it was taken for granted that you can act, it was all about whether you can overcome your external environment and still be able to perform at your best. And I am hoping that's what the audiences see when they are watching the show."

He credits the team for holding the fort despite such challenging conditions and executing things, "Hats off to the entire team because handling a shoot schedule in -7°C for 12 hours a day was quite a challenge."