The shooting of a song and dance sequence for a Kannada movie near Gumbaz, which houses the tomb of 18th century ruler of Mysuru Tipu Sultan, has sparked a row.
Though six months had passed since the song sequence for the movie Namo Bhootatma 2 was shot on the elevated platform surrounding the domed mausoleum, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has now taken serious offence for shooting an allegedly obscene dance sequence at Gumbaz housing the tomb and sought the resignation of former Minister Tanveer Sait, who is the chairman of the Tipu Sultan Wakf Estate.
Though Gumbaz is an Archeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected monument, the Tipu Sultan Wakf Estate is the custodian of the monument.
Pointing out that a mosque lies adjacent to the tomb, which also holds the graves of Tipu’s father Hyder Ali and mother Fathima Fakhrunnisa alongside Tipu’s, SDPI State president Abdul Majeed said the picturisation of an “obscene song” on the premises had hurt the sentiments of Muslims and a large number of the erstwhile Mysuru ruler’s admirers.
The elevated platform surrounding the Gumbaz, where the dance sequence was shot, has the tombs of Tipu’s other family members, relatives and a large number of Muslim fighters, who had laid down their lives fighting the British, Mr. Majeed claimed.
He has urged the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to immediately take steps necessary to remove the “objectionable” song sequence from the movie, which has already been released.
Meanwhile, officials of the ASI in Mysuru said the makers of the movie had obtained permission for shooting at Gumbaz from the office of Bengaluru Circle of ASI in Bengaluru.
“They had applied for permission to shoot and got it,” the ASI official said.
However, Mr. Majeed has argued that the ASI officials and members of Tipu Sultan Wakf Estate should have conveyed to the moviemakers the significance and sanctity of the place and denied permission for the shooting.
The SDPI said the matter will also be brought to the notice of Chief Minister Siddarmaiah and Minister for Wakf B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sait said the permission for the shooting had been given by the ASI office in Bengaluru, which is an appropriate authority, but added that the Tipu Sultan Wakf Estate that he heads had been dissolved for some time after February 2023 due to a court order.
The permission for shooting the movie had been given when the estate was headed by an administrator. As the Wakf Estate had now been reinstated, he had sought details of the communication between the makers of the movie and the ASI with regard to permission for shooting.
Mr. Sait said he would not have allowed permission for the shooting, had he been at the helm of affairs of the estate while claiming that the estate had similarly opposed permission for shooting on an earlier occasion also.
With regard to the demand for his resignation, Mr. Sait, without referring to the SDPI, said he suspected a design to provoke people on the occasion of Eid-e-Milad.
