Hyderabad: Shooting for the movie Azhar, based on the life of cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin, came to a standstill in OU Sunday. The film crew was sent packing by a group of students a few hours after the team's arrival at the Arts College. Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi and director Tony D'Souza were also present when protests broke. They were escorted to safety and then led out of the campus, students said.
Some students alleged that the film-makers did not have permission to shoot a commercial film in OU. A few students supported the film shoot and backed the crew, and this resulted in a minor clash among students. Emraan Hashmi tried to calm down the situation but it did not help.
OU Registrar Prof E. Suresh Kumar said, “An organisation sought permission from us for shooting a documentary titled 'Azharuddin - The Pride of Telangana' for which we accorded permission on condition it should be done on non-working days. If it turns out true that a commercial movie was being shot rather than a documentary in Arts College, notice will be issued to the organisation which sought permission from us.”
A spokesperson for the movie said, “We got permission to shoot a commercial film in Arts College and not a documentary. There are more than 30 student organisations in the university and there was misunderstanding between them which resulted in clashes at the venue and suspension of the shoot. It will resume and will be completed.”
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