The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has said that movies should not be shot on the busy Church Street as it will affect traffic flow in the centrally located area. Church Street is also a major attraction in Bengaluru for party goers and shoppers, especially during the weekend.
The BBMP’s decree came after it noticed a movie being shot on the street on Sunday. The movie was allegedly being shot without obtaining relevant permission.
However, a crewman of the malayalam film said that the team had obtained permission from the police. But DCP, Central, Shekar H. Tekkanavar said he had not given permission for the film shooting and they may have taken it from the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce. (KFCC). On the other hand, N.M. Suresh, KFCC president, said: “We have not given any permission and we do not have any authority to give permission. It’s a State subject.”
Ramesh S., who runs a paan shop on the street, said traffic was crawling for over an hour because of the film shoot. Although the crewmen were shooting on the pavement, hundreds of people stopped to watch, he said. “They said they have permission, but this is the first time I am seeing a film being shot here. The BBMP should ensure that action is taken against them,” he said.
A hotelier said shooting will not just disrupt traffic but also business. The slow-moving traffic will make people go to other areas, he said. “The shooting happened near my shop and as people gathered, I lost business during peak hour. The crewmen were moving on the road making preparations and commuters were struggling to navigate through the stretch,” he added.
BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath, talking to The Hindu, said: “Shooting films on Church Street is barred and neither the police nor the KFCC can give permission. It’s a busy street. Film shooting will disrupt traffic and hence, the BBMP has barred it.”
