MUMBAI: Over this past weekend, Prakash Jha and his team of Bobby Deol-starrer Aashram 3, faced a shocking incident when their set was attacked by some religious activists. They had been shooting in Bhopal for the third season of the show that tackled the issue of godmen in our country and the result of blind faith on them, through its first two seasons.

On Sunday, the team was suddenly attacked by Bajrang Dal activists who damaged the set of the show and even threw ink on writer-director Prakash Jha, claiming that he has portrayed Hindus wrongly through his show. The police had also informed that the windscreens of two crew buses were broken too in stone pelting and one person was injured.

Also read: Controversy: Prakash Jha’s face BLACKENED by Bajrang Dal activists while filming Ashram 3 in Bhopal

In response, the Producers Guild Of India has issued a statement regarding the incident, condemning the attack that took place and have also asked the concerned authorities to take strict action against the culprits behind the incident.

The statement read, “The Producers Guild of India strongly condemns the brazen acts of violence, harassment and vandalism faced by the crew involved in the production of the series Ashram in Bhopal. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident and the Guild is alarmed to note the frequency with which both the production and exhibition sectors are severely and illegally disrupted by various elements with impunity. Content production contributes significantly to local economies, generates employment and promotes tourism which is why authorities in India and across the world formulate policies to attract producers to their respective regions. However. even more than incentives and benefits. the very minimum that production units should expect is for these authorities to provide the guarantees of safety and security for their units. We urge the relevant authorities to take immediate and strict action against the perpetrators of these acts of violence and to bring them to justice.”

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has also tweeted about the incident condemning it and he also responded to the guild’s statement requesting them to take the matter directly to concerned authorities and take action.

Also read: Shocking! Ashram 3 crew attacked by Bajrang Dal activists

Meanwhile, four people responsible for the attack were arrested by the MP police but soon a memorandum was submitted to BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur demanding a release of those men. Even Thakur herself had given a statement saying, “An 'ashram' is an arrangement of sadhus under the Sanatan Dharma. It is not a subject that anybody can portray in a bad light. An ashram is not a subject on which anybody can raise a finger. A person can be wrong and action can be taken against such people under the existing system. But it will not be tolerable if anyone defames this (Ashram) arrangement of the Sanatan Dharma or Hindus and religious leaders.”

Even MP’s Home Minister Narottam Mishra had said on Monday that producers and directors will have to inform authorities about objectionable content or scenes in their stories before seeking permission for shooting in the state. 

Stay tuned for more updates on Tellychakkar.com