The action had just begun before a police team closed in on a film shoot location and ordered the crew to pack up.
The 15-member crew had not obtained police permission for filming some action scenes involving knives in the sensitive north Chennai neighbourhood of MKB Nagar on Friday.
The organiser of the shoot, associate director S. Mani (26), was arrested for causing public nuisance by the MKB Nagar police.
The action unfolded around 8 a.m. on Friday when a team led by Mani landed at the slum clearance board tenements in Jag Jivan Nagar of MKB Nagar to film a few action sequences for a film titled ‘Amaran’.
According to the police, a day earlier, the film crew had requested the local police to allow them to shoot in the neighbourhood but they were refused permission.
“We told them such permission could be given only by the city police commissioner,” said assistance police commissioner, MKB Nagar, Govi Manoharan.
Anticipating the crew’s return in defiance of the police order, a few personnel of the intelligence wing were roaming about the area in mufti.
On Friday, when the film crew went to the spot and began filming, the men in mufti alerted the special team. When asked to leave, the crew members produced a permission letter that had expired two months ago.
“We forgot to shoot a few crime scenes during our previous schedule two months ago. So, we returned with the old permission letter assuming it would be valid,” said a crew member.
According to the police, the scenes that were scheduled to be filmed on Friday included one wherein some goons chase a rival gang.
Reel inspired from the real
MKB Nagar is considered a hotspot of criminal activities and gang wars. Many gang-related crimes and murders have taken place there in recent times.
“Controlling the crowds that come to watch the shooting is a Herculean task. Generally, permission is not granted for film shoots during the day in such sensitive areas,” said a police officer.
