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Shiv Sainiks protest restrictions on ghat
UNCERTAINTY LOOMS large on the proposed shooting of some movies in the holy city of Varanasi even as shooting of Rani Mukherjee starrer movie evoked protests for ?restrictions imposed? on the public here on Saturday. There seems no end to the worries of Pradeep Sarkar (under whose direction the unnamed movie is being shot) since day one (November 12) of its shooting here .
UNCERTAINTY LOOMS large on the proposed shooting of some movies in the holy city of Varanasi even as shooting of Rani Mukherjee starrer movie evoked protests for ‘restrictions imposed’ on the public here on Saturday.
There seems no end to the worries of Pradeep Sarkar (under whose direction the unnamed movie is being shot) since day one (November 12) of its shooting here, Shiv Sainiks protested the restriction imposed on devotees and common people for shooting of the movie on Manikarnika ghat on the bank of river Ganga on Saturday.
After a few days break because of a mishap which caused death to one of its crew member on Wednesday last, shooting of the movie was resumed this morning only to face the onslaught of the cultural cops of Shiv Sena who strongly protested the alleged inconvenience caused to the devotees due to barricading of some of the ghats.
“The moment we came to know that restriction had been imposed on the devotees in the area by the crew members, Shiv Sainiks immediately rushed to the spot and held protests,” informed district president of Shiv Sena, Gulshan Kapoor.
“We are not against shooting of the movie—but it should not be at the cost of our livelihood. Our business has suffered with such public restriction”, Kullu Sahini, a pan vendor said.
The free flow of public traffic resumed after the activists of Shiv Sena removed the barricade at the venue, which was close to the Manikarnika ghat, where hundreds of dead bodies are consigned to flames daily.
“Rumours spread that shooting has caused inconvenience to people especially those who come to the ghat with dead bodies for last rites, which was not true”, Ratishanker Tripathi, local co-ordinator of the movie said.
It may be mentioned the activists of Kranti Shiv Sena had as a mark of protest carried out funeral procession of Rani Mukherjee a few days back following her alleged misbehavior with mediapersons.
Sources informed that in view of the charged atmosphere, the proposed shooting of some movies has been cancelled.
The shooting of a movie directed by Rakesh Mehra was to begin from November 27 and of another, directed by Shiv Kumar, was to start in December. Both have been cancelled, sources informed. These movies will now be shot in Gujarat.
