Shot interrupted

Emraan Hashmi in ‘Gunmaaster G9’. Pics/Instagram, IMDB

Lights, camera, commotion. What began as a routine film shoot in Haridwar turned into a public uproar when locals mistook a movie set for a real bar. On Wednesday (June 10), a crowd disrupted the shoot of a scene for Emraan Hashmi-starrer Gunmaaster G9 after spotting a sign board that read ‘Bar and Café' in the holy city.

Genelia Deshmukh

Aparshakti Khurana was filming at Bhatia Bhawan in Shravan Nath Nagar when locals gathered at the location and objected to the apparent opening of a bar. The protest gained momentum after videos from the set circulated online, as meat, eggs, and alcohol are prohibited in Haridwar.

Himesh Reshammiya, Deepak Mukut and Aparshakti Khurana

"We go to shoot scenes with necessary props, at places without any intention of hurting anybody's feelings. We always respect the system and follow all the rules. After speaking to the local people, we sorted it out," said producer Deepak Mukut, who was taken aback by the accusations. He shared that, as a Hindu, he would never consider opening a bar in Haridwar. "We are also Hindus and we respect the sentiments of everybody. Then we explained to them that it's a film shoot," he added. To calm tensions, the makers removed the word ‘Bar' from the signboard and kept it only as ‘Café'.

Although the production had secured the necessary permissions, locals were reportedly unaware that a film shoot was underway. After wrapping up in Haridwar, the team heads to Mussoorie, Rishikesh, and Delhi. "A little bit of patchwork is left in Mumbai. The film will be completed in the first week of July with only a couple of songs remaining. [Paired opposite Hashmi], Genelia [Deshmukh] will join after the 20th of June," explained the producer of the spy thriller.