26 August,2011 08:31 AM IST | | Hiren Kotwani
'Shakal Pe Mat Ja' director was detained for carrying six odd fake guns!
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When Shubh Mukherjee set out to make Shakal Pe Mat Ja, a film inspired by the ease with which bombs can be planted in Indian cities, he didn't anticipate he would become a terror suspect in real life!
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A while ago, he got into trouble for shooting without adequate permission near the Indian Parliament. And now we learn he was detained at Delhi airport before boarding the flight to Mumbai for carrying six odd fake guns!
A still from the movie Shakal Pe Mat Ja
Shubh explains that he had to carry the guns as the letter of consent was with him. "Since I was returning to Mumbai a day later than my crew, I had to carry the guns. But I was held up for about five hours at the airport.
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They questioned me over and over again, putting me through the same process the protagonists in my film go through," narrates the director, pointing out the irony of his situation.
During the course of his detention, the filmmaker missed two flights, as a result of which his shoot in Mumbai was delayed.
He had to explain the storyline of his film to justify the reasons he was carrying the fake guns. He says the stringent rules caused the delay.
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"The airport department has to inform all airlines flying around the time of my flight. So even though I had the consent later, I guess that probably wasn't enough," he adds.
Shubh Mukherjee
Fortunately, the authorities let him off after being properly convinced of his explanations. His luck continued at the Mumbai airport, where after landing he exited without any problems due to all the required letters of consent he procured after his detention at Delhi airport.
Interestingly, he has added a couple of relevant scenes in his movie based on this experience. "As it is, I'm making a realistic film. What I went through will only add to bring out that reality," he concludes.
The film, co-produced by actress Hrishita Bhatt, is slated to release on September 9, the tenth anniversary of 9/11, when terrorists attacked the twin towers of World Trade Center in the US.
