Mehul S Thakkar, Mumbai Mirror Nov 22, 2011, 10.13AM IST
(Amit Chandra and Vivek Oberoi )
Sanjay Khanduri and Amit Chandrra want to shoot parts of their film Gyarah Chalis Ki Last Metro at the heritage site, which had been out of bounds for the public since the tragic stampede in the early 1980s
There have been many movies picturised on the sights and sounds of Delhi. The 2006 box-office success, Faana, depicted many of the tourist attractions of the city through a love story. And then in 2007 again, R Balki captured the capital's heritage in the romantic film Cheeni Kum. While these films were shot in the vicinity of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Qutub Minar, till date no filmmaker has been able to shoot inside the stone tower.
However, it seems that the area that has been cordoned off to not only filmmakers but even the public might just be opened up for the very first time for director Sanjay Khanduri and producer Amit Chandrra. Mumbai Mirror has learnt that the filmmakers have requested for permission to shoot a special sequence in Gyarah Chalis Ki Last Metro inside the Qutub Minar.
A source close to the unit said, "The makers of the sequel to Ek Chalis Ki Last Local are going all out to acquire permissions to shoot inside the Qutub Minar. They are attempting to do what has never been done before. Amit Chandrra and the film's lead actor, Vivek Oberoi, are in talks with Delhi authorities to request opening the gates to the heritage tower to shoot certain sequences of the film."
In the past, Dev Anand attempted to picturise the inside of the Qutub Minar for the song Dil Ka Bhanwar Kare Pukar for the 1963 film Tere Ghar Ke Samne. However, the director had to make do with a Qutub Minar replica set. "Back then, the size of the cameras made shooting inside the narrow staircase of the Qutub Minar a challenge. And so, Dev Anand had to settle for a replica set. Since an accident in the early 1980s, when a group of school girls panicked when the lights went off inside the tower leading to a stampede and a number of deaths, the gates have been locked to the public," added the source.
Apparently, Khanduri and Kumar have just returned from the capital, where they were doing a recce in the city. When contacted Producer Amit Chandrra, he said, "Like for other heritage places, we are seeking permission to shoot inside the Qutub Minar. We are very excited, as we will be the first team to shoot there. So we are keeping our fingers crossed." Vivek Oberoi told Mumbai Mirror, "I'm looking forward to shoot there."
