The police on Tuesday denied permission for shooting of “Rowdy Rathore” at the World Heritage Site Hampi, following protests from the local activists and artists. Film unit comprising of director Prabhu Deva, actors Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha and 50 other dancers left the site on Tuesday.
Hospet assistant commissioner D.R. Ashok, tehasildhar Basavaraj Sommannavar and ASI authorities issued directions to film crew to stop shooting with immediate effect following violations of ASI conservation rules and for tranquillity. Local people and artists opposed shooting of a song sequence, featuring Akshay and Sonakshi, along with many dancers, scheduled to be shot at several heritage sites including the Vijaya Vittala temple, Lotus Mahal, Maha Navami Dibba and several other historic places in 15th century capital of Vijayanagar Empire.
Locals said that vehicles have been banned near protected monuments since November 15, 2010, and battery cars were introduced in the premises for conservation of the monuments.
Contrary to this, Hampi which is a UNESCO world heritage site, was invaded with the film production house vehicles, including generator and equipment vehicles, the vanity vans of actors and cars carrying crew members that drove into the Vijaya Vittala temple area despite prohibition. Tourists complained that the film crew held up hundreds of visitors, both domestic and foreign at the stone-chariot and musical pillar famed Vijaya Vittala temple.ASI and Hampi Development Authority rules specify that shooting is permitted on condition that visitors are not disturbed and crew had given such an understanding. However, security guards of the stars allegedly stopped tourists from entering the temple.
Another reason for stopping the shoot was that the unit had taken permission to shoot a song sequence from Tuesday to Friday, but had begun on Monday, said Kiran Nayak, a Hampi resident. Nayak said he learnt that the archaeology department, looking after the famous Virupaksha Temple and nearby historical places, had given permission for song shoot only from Tuesday. The film crew ran into trouble on the first day itself, despite the scorching heat of 40 degrees Celsius, shooting was at a brisk pace on Monday, until local artists and activists raised objection that the movie's production house, Sanjay Leela Bhansali Films, had not used a minimum of 30% of local dancers for shooting the song as it is stipulated that 30% of local artists had to be used for the song shoot in Karnataka. Local activist Malagi Vishwanath said the entire film unit had no Kannada technicians and all of them, including the dancers, were brought from Mumbai.
However, when the local Karnataka Film Artistes Association insisted on the inclusion of the local work force, the unit packed the ongoing shoot and left.