Mani Ratnams Ravan,starring Abhishek and Aishwarya,has run into trouble as two of its crew and nine villagers have been booked by the Pune forest department for erecting a set in the forest area of Junnar taluka in Pune district without prior permission. Following this,the work of erecting the set has come to a halt and there is uncertainty about the film shooting which was slated to start on August 27. Acting suo motu,the Junnar division of the forest office had on August 13 registered an FIR under the Indian Forest Act,1927,and the Forest Conservation Act,1980,against 11 persons,two of whom are members of the film crew under whose permission the set for the movie was being erected at Khireshwar village,near Malshej Ghat. We have seized four tractors and one JCB from them. The nine villagers were helping the crew erect the set, said forest range officer BB Jadhav. Jadhav said all 11 were booked for causing damage to 27 trees,digging up land,setting up two makeshift mandaps,a tin-shed and erecting the set. All this was done without proper approval from the forest department, he said. There are minor damages to the trees. This is also not allowed under the law, he said,adding that the crew was apparently trying to erect a set a la Ganesh decoration. Jadhav said the crew had actually applied for permission,which was under consideration. It normally takes two-three days. But work started before the permission could be given. Neither oral nor written authorisation had been given. The officer said when they reached the spot on August 13 and asked people erecting the set to show the permission letter,they could not produce it. Thus,an FIR was lodged against them. So far,no arrests have been made. Jadhav said in such cases,generally,fines are levied on the perpetrators and the amount would be decided after proper investigation. The permission to allow the shooting can be given,but only after necessary action. Jadhav said he would forward the report to deputy conservator of forests Subhash Shelkhe. Shelkhe said the work of erecting the set has been stopped,as the forest law has been violated. Until the matter is sorted out,no permission will be given to start the filming, he said. In the last one month,this is the second time the movie has hit the headlines. Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan had a narrow escape after an elephant ran amok during the shooting in Kerala.
