Activists of Right-wing organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), on Friday disrupted the shooting of a film on Osama bin Laden in a market of Manimajra town here, protesting against the hoisting of the Pakistani flag.
Led by Vijay Singh Bhardwaj, the activists removed Pakistani flags and Urdu sign boards on some shops to recreate the town of Abbottabad in Pakistan where Osama was killed last year.
The shooting of Kathryn Bigelow's film is being done in several parts of the City Beautiful, including the bustling Sector 15 market, Punjab Engineering College and the surrounding areas.
The crew alleged that VHP activists hurled abuses and even manhandled them while demanding that they cancel the shoot. The shooting was “cancelled” for the time being and the cameras removed.
It is learnt that the shooting resumed afterwards following a “compromise.”
“Not acceptable”
Mr. Bhardwaj said the depiction of Chandigarh as a Pakistani city and display of the Pakistan flag was not acceptable. Some shopkeepers also protested against the behaviour of “bouncers,” who were preventing customers from visiting their establishments.
Manimajra Station House Officer (SHO) Rajesh Shukla said the film director had promised that the Pakistani flag would not be displayed during the shooting, after which the activists left.
No case has been registered, he added.
