Bajrang Dal Disrupts Judi Dench-Ali Fazal Film Shoot In Agra

They refused to allow the film crew to install a statue of Queen Victoria as a remnant of the colonial rule.

The crew drapes the statue as Bajrang Dal members protest in Agra. (Photo courtesy: Twitter/ arvindctoi)

Bajrang Dal members gathered on the sets of the Judi Dench-starrer Hollywood movie Victoria and Abdul on Friday to protest against the installation of a statue of Queen Victoria in Mehtab Bagh in Agra. The right wing-group saw the installation as a relic of colonial rule and refused to put up with it, even on a film set.

According to Times of India, a large Bajrang Dal group barged into the shooting area at around 11.30 am, making the cast and crew, who have been shooting in Agra for four days, panic. The filmmakers draped the statue to avoid more trouble.

The group was shouting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and creating nuisance around the set.

Ali Fazal, Actor

Fazal is playing Mohammad Abdul Karim, Queen Victoria's Muslim Indian servant, in the British-American drama. Dench was not present during the shoot.

The crew did not have permission from the Archaeological Survey of India to install the statue of Queen Victoria in the park. Even if they had it, we wouldn’t have allowed any relic of colonial rule to be installed in Agra, so what if it’s for a film shoot. These English people have ruled over us for 200 years.

Bunty Thakur, City Coordinator, Bajrang Dal, Agra

And all this happened despite police presence and all permissions being in place.

Narendar Kumar, station officer of Itmad-ud-Daula, said, "There was police presence around the shoot area, so nothing major happened. The men, who were creating unnecessary trouble, were asked to leave the premises."

The crew of the movie had proper permission from our New Delhi headquarters for the shoot and installation of the statue for the film.

Bhuvan Vikrama, ASI Superintending Archaeologist

The film is based on the book Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidant, and is being directed by renowned British filmmaker Stephen Frears. The legendary Judi Dench plays Victoria, while Fazal has scored the role of Karim, her Indian attendant. The movie is set for a 2017 release.

(Source: Times of India)