Charlie Hunnam was psychologically challenged with 'Papillon'

Los Angeles : Actor Charlie Hunnam was psychologically challenged while shooting for survival drama "Papillon", says director Michael Noer.

Based on autobiographical novel "Papillon", published in France in 1969, the film tells the story of two prisoners trying to escape a penal colony in Guiana.

"Charlie spent much of his time alone in a cell, he couldn't leave without permission. It became a challenging shoot in a psychological way," Noer said in a statement to IANS.

"Those solitary confinement sequences were like an anthropological experiment where we tried to give Charlie a taste of what it could actually mean to be isolated," Noer added.

The film follows the epic story of Henri "Papillon" Charriare (Hunnam), a safecracker from the Parisian underworld framed for murder. Rami Malik will be seen as his friend and accomplice in prison.

Brought to India by MVP Entertainment, the film released in India on August 31.