Remember the breathtaking time-slice shot from Matrix. Well, Kannada film Chauka has become the first in this language to use the same technique while shooting.

Also called bullet time shot, eight shots of three seconds each were taken using a setup involving 50 cameras for a fight sequence featuring Darshan. The 24 seconds cumulatively amounted to Rs 34 lakh making it the costliest seconds ever in a Kannada film shoot, according to a report in the Bangalore Mirror.  

The time-slice technique, made popular in Hollywood’s Matrix, has been used only in a few Indian films like Anniyan, Boys and Dabangg 2.

“For each shot, the 50 cameras had to be rigged and placed at a separation of one degree. It took four hours to set it up. In a day we could shoot only three shots. On the first day, it took all day just to understand how it works. We managed to shoot only one shot of three-second duration. On the second and third day, we managed to complete the rest of the shots,” said director Tharun Sudheer.

The 50 cameras, which came with 14 crewmembers, were procured from a firm in Singapore.

The time-slice shot filmed on Darshan and Prabhakar (of Baahubali fame) was orchestrated by stunt master Vijay. The fight sequence took eight days while the time-slice shots took three days to finish.

The film has a star cast including Darshan, Prem, Diganth, Vijay Raghavendra and Prajwal Devaraj.