It could well have turned from Direct Ishq to 'Direct War',
had it not been some quick thinking on part of Rajniesh Duggall to prevent it
all. All of this happened at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, where a
major portion of the actor's forthcoming movie Direct Ishq was being shot.
These were early days at the shoot and the film's crew was still getting familiarized
to the locations that had been reserved for the shoot.
"The makers had taken all the relevant permissions from
the university, and hence it was pretty much expected that the shoot will go on
smoothly," informs a senior unit member, "However, in the early days
itself, there was some trouble in store when a key sequence was underway at the
university's library. Our cinematographer was facing some difficulty in setting
the shot since there were certain students who were continuously appearing in
the frame."
Though director Rajiv S. Ruia and his team of assistants and
crowd controllers were trying their best to clear up the frame, enthusiasm amongst
the students was at its peak, as a result of which tension starting building
up.
"In this atmosphere, a scuffle broke between the
production team members and a couple of students, and soon there were verbal
volleys being thrown around as well. For director Ruia and cinematographer
Suresh Beesaveni, this was a worrisome moment as it seemed that the situation
would soon go out of hand," the unit member continues.
This is where Rajniesh decided to take things in his hands
and stepped in to resolve the situation. Though it was a risky move,
considering the fact that his Khatron Ke Khiladi stint had already made him a
popular face amongst youth, and hence risked being mobbed, Rajniesh - along
with his co-star Arjun Bijlani and director Rajiv S. Ruia did walk up to the
students.
"The trio had a polite discussion with the students and
explained to them how it was in the best interest of everyone to allow the
shoot proceed smoothly," the source explains.
Further masterstroke was played when the leader of the
agitated group was called aside and offered the position of security in-charge
for the rest of the shoot. Unexpectedly, the ones who were perceived to be a
threat to the Banaras schedule were now the most supporting of the lot, and
ensured that the shoot went on comfortably till the unit called packed up on
the last date.
On contacted, Rajniesh told, "Well, such things happen.
The good thing is that there was no damage done on either side. All is well
that ends well."
