Unrest in Punjab and Haryana, after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s arrest, has stalled shooting of Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal-starrer and Meghna Gulzar-directed film ‘Raazi’
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was arrested on Friday, August 25, following which there were widespread violence in several parts of Indian states Punjab and Haryana. This outbreak has affected Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal-starrer film ‘Raazi’ and the shooting is now stalled. Alia and Vicky were shooting for the film in Patiala, Punjab on Friday when the news of violence reached the team. As a precautionary measure, director Meghna Gulzar was quick to call for pack-up. The riots after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s arrest has claimed at least 30 lives till now, with over 250 injured. Following this tense situation, the cast and crew of ‘Raazi’ stayed put in their hotel over the weekend. Meghna Gulzar, who began shooting in Mumbai last month, was to complete the shoot of ‘Raazi’ by September. ‘Raazi’ is based on Harinder Sikka’s novel ‘Calling Sehmat’ and features across-the-border drama.
A CBI court, headed by special judge Jagdeep Singh, has pronounced the quantum of sentence of 10 years of Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The police have beefed up the security to face any untoward incident, which is highly likely in a few states like Punjab and Haryana. The Dera chief has been declared a rapist by the court. Once the sporadic conditions in Punjab return to normal after his sentencing, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal and Meghna Gulzar will begin shooting for ‘Raazi’.
