Rani Mukherjee's posters burnt by saffron brigade

Varanasi, Nov 14 (UNI) The saffron brigade, which stalled the filming of Deepa Mehta's 'Water' here in 2000, today burnt posters of Bollywood actor Rani Mukherjee to protest her alleged misconduct with mediapersons.

The activists of the Kranti Shiv Sena (KSS) -- a breakway group of Shiv Sena -- led by its president Arun Pathak also carried out a mock funeral procession of the film crew, currently shooting for a Yash Raj banner film here.

''Owing to the shooting, the daily religious life in the riverine vicinity has been hampered. The seers and the devout are being stopped from taking bath in Ganga river and offering prayers at temples,'' Mr Pathak alleged.

The demonstration by the KSS is only a warning to the film crew and if the entire film team failed to mend its ways, a massive movement will be launched to oust them from this religious city, he added.

KSS activists carried out a funeral procession from the Chetsingh Ghat to Harishchandra Ghat -- the cremation ground -- and then set afire the effigy of the entire film crew. The saffron activists also burnt the posters of Rani Mukherjee to protest her alleged rude behaviour with mediapersons at a press conference here last evening.

''Media is the fourth pillar of democracy and any misbehaviour with them will prove costly to her,'' Mr Pathak warned.

The Shiv Sena had stalled the filming of Deepa Mehta's 'Water' in the city during 2000, alleging the film dealing with the plight of Bengali widows in Kashi painted the religious city in bad light.

The film crew comprising Deepa Mehta, Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das had to leave without completing the shooting schedule of the film due to protests.

UNI ARS VS RR BS1708