Film denied shooting

AFTER Denying Shah Rukh Khan, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has denied permission to an Amitabh Bachchan starrer for shooting at the Humayun's Tomb.

AFTER Denying Shah Rukh Khan, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has denied permission to an Amitabh Bachchan starrer for shooting at the Humayun's Tomb. A King Khan scene in the blockbuster Veer Zaara, which was slotted for the mausoleum, had to be shot at the Old Fort's Qila-e-Qunah mosque.

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"The Humayun's Tomb is a very sensitive place and given the flow of tourists, we can't allow any shooting inside the monument. We have asked the director to shoot elsewhere," a senior official said.

On the other hand, the ASI has given permission to shoot another Bachchan movie at Feroz Shah Kotla. It has also received request for shooting a Yash Chopra movie at one of the monuments in March.

"We have to be very careful while giving permission for shooting as once the unit comes, they just take over the place. Moreover, the presence of big stars creates crowd frenzy," said a source. For instance, angry ticket holders pelted stones at the Tughlaqabad fort when the police denied them entry when Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta were shooting there for Lakshya last year.

A few months ago, a movie crew shooting behind the Taj Mahal used smoke vapours. The Agra unit of the ASI has asked both the state pollution control board and the CPCB to take action. "The Taj Mahal and Humayun's Tomb are very sensitive sites and permission for shooting here is hard to come by," sources said.