The much-hyped shooting of Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie’s film A Mighty Heart, based on journalist Daniel Pearl’s killing, ran into trouble on Thursday when parents and students of the Anjuman-i-Islam Badruddin Tyebji High School and Junior College at Fort, where the film was being shot, complained that crew members and bodyguards had manhandled them as they were trying to catch a glimpse of the filmstar.
Ansari Z Ahmed, a member of the school’s Parent Teacher Association claimed that one of the bodyguards slapped a primary school student when he tried to get close to the shooting. “The foreign bodyguards used abusive language and called us bloody Indians,” alleged Ahmed. Some media persons too complained of being ill treated by the crew members.
The commotion started when Jolie, Bollywood actor Irfan Khan and the crew were about to enter the school building at 12 in the afternoon. The students of secondary school were leaving the premises at that time, while classes for pre-primary and primary students were about to begin. School buses were stopped at the J J School of Art, next to Anjuman-i-Islam school and the students were forced to walk till the school.
“Classes were supposed to start by 12.40 pm, but parents and children were stopped at the gates. There was complete commotion,” said Ayesha Khan, one of the parents.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Brijesh Singh said it was not possible to stop the shooting as the crew had the required permission.
Angry parents lodged a complaint with the Azad Maidan police station on Thursday evening. However, the school management said that the situation was being blown out of proportion. “No scuffle happened in our presence and classes continued without disruption. How do we know that the parents are speaking the truth? It’s just a way to demean our institution,” said
... contd.