Special Ops is an Indian espionage thriller series created by Neeraj Pandey for Disney+ Hotstar's label Hotstar Specials. Apart from India, the show was filmed in Turkey, Jordan and Azerbaijan. Quidich formed a part of the camera crew with it’s drones to elevate the production values of the show.
In Mumbai we shot through an intricately designed set that was a reconstruction of the Indian Parliament. The CopterQam followed the whereabouts of the characters, as they attempted to attack the building. In a starkly contrasting setting, in Delhi, India, our pilots navigated the CopterQam through the packed streets of a tightly knit community to film a chase between the protagonists of the story. To add to the variations, in Jordan, we shot the expanse of the deserts of Wadi Rum, establishing the vastness of the area and reflecting the scale.
Drones have become an integral part of most productions now, but director Neeraj Pandey is someone who knows exactly what he wants and how to judiciously use the drone, not just as wide establishing shots, but right in the middle of chase sequences and complex scenes. This project could arguably have the most number of scripted drone shots Quidich has ever seen.
The BuggyQam arrived on set as a pleasant surprise to everyone. While we were shooting at the set of the parliament in film city with the drone, there was a scene where the terrorists were running through a two narrow busses and the director was trying to achieve a low angle with the steadicam, but was not getting the desired shot, due to a lack of space. Lo and behold, our BuggyQam arrived at the set as a saviour as a good alternative to a track dolly and the steadicam. Remotely operated, the Quidich team was able to gracefully chase the terrorists along the walls of the Parliament set and squeeze through tight spaces as the protagonist began the marquee attack scene. This was the Buggy’s first entry into bollywood and it left the director and the crew amazed at it’s potential.
“To work with a director like Neeraj Sir is always a pleasure, the scale of the production, the precision of expectation and the need for constantly pushing boundaries makes us better operators. The best part of my job is that I get to work with such inspiring people”
Pratik Rawat, Drone Operator - Quidich
