Shooting of Kannada film in Ooty disrupted by Tamil activists

The shooting of a Kannada film at the picturesque Botanical Gardens of Ooty in Tamil Nadu was disrupted by Tamil activists in protest against Karnataka’s stand on the Cauvery issue.

According to information reaching here, the activists led by DMK leader B M Mubarak barged into the venue and started raising slogans when the song sequence of the film “Mathadu Mathadu Mallige” featuring Kannada actor Vishnuvardhan and actress Suhasini was being picturised.

The Tamil activists asked the film unit to pack up and referred to the blacking out of Tamil movies and Tamil channels in Karnataka after the Cauvery verdict. Vishnuvardhan and Suhasini, who is a herself a Tamilian, tried to convince the protestors, but in vain.

Though the unit packed up and tried to resume the shooting the next day, the Tamil activists returned to the venue and protested again. Director of the film Nagathihalli Chandrashekar told reporters that the activists did not harm the artistes or the shooting equipment as the police provided them full security.

The film unit had to eventually pack up and return to Karnataka with full police protection on Saturday evening, thus canceling the shooting schedule. The actress Suhasini left for Coimbatore with police protection and returned to Chennai by flight.

Chandrashekar told reporters that the Tamil activists were perturbed over his and Vishnuvardhan’s involvement in the Cauvery agitation in Karnataka.

However, he said the Tamil film fraternity including actors like Vijaykant, Sharat Kumar and Shivaji Prabhu got in touch with the Kannada film crew and assured them full protection and support. They even sought an amicable settlement to the issue.“They felt that such unsavoury incidents were a blot on Tamil Nadu”, Chandrashekar said.

Chandrashekar also claimed that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi too intervened in the matter and arranged for security to the Kannada film crew.