The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Film shooting throws traffic out of gear

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 06, 2007
ePaper


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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Film shooting throws traffic out of gear

Staff Reporter

Congestion aggravated by people who flocked the shooting spot

CRISIS DURING PEAK HOUR: Traffic came to a grinding halt on GST Road near MIT Bridge on Monday owing to a film shooting. — Photo : A. Muralitharan

TAMBARAM : Traffic on the arterial Grand Southern Trunk Road was thrown out of gear during peak hours on the first day of the week owing to the shooting of a Tamil film near the road overbridge at MIT Gate, Chromepet.

Dozens of crew members and cast of `Kannamboochi' including actors Prithviraj, Sathyaraj, Sandhya and Radha Ravi along with the film's director Priya, were stationed near the bridge since morning.

They were filming a scene where a `bomb squad' was checking a call-taxi on the main road.

As vehicles involved in the shooting had occupied the entire carriageway, traffic towards Tambaram was diverted along the bridge from 7 a.m. onwards. With vehicles proceeding towards three directions, Hasthinapuram, Tambaram and Chromepet, getting trapped near the rotary on the bridge, motorists had to struggle to get out of the traffic snarl.

Between 8.30 a.m. and 10 a.m., motorists waited for close to 30 minutes to cross the bridge, resulting in frayed tempers among a section of them.

Angry commuters wanted to know how the government agencies were insensitive to the thousands of citizens who had to suffer for hours because of the shooting of a film scene that would probably appear for a few seconds.

The congestion was aggravated by scores of curious people, mostly men, who flocked the shooting spot to have a glimpse of the stars. Police said the film crew had obtained the permission for the shooting.

Members of civic groups in Chromepet pointed out that bridges like the one in MIT were built to ease congestion and to lessen the problems faced by people. They wanted to know if police and other government departments would extend the same cooperation if residents organised peaceful protest meetings or other events in public places.

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Tamil Nadu