It's double trouble for Ram Gopal Varma. After being granted very limited access to the CST railway station to shoot his ambitious project based on the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, word is that his request to film at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, Colaba has been turned down.
Our source say the reason behind it was the fact that the authorities were not willing to revisit the unfortunate incident, even through a film. The hotel became the venue for a lot of bloodbath during the terrorists' siege on the city.
Our source says, `Ramu was a bit disappointed over not being given complete permission to shoot at CST or at the Colaba hotel. After shooting some sequences at CST, he will shoot the rest of the gory and firing scenes on another set.`
Incidentally, Ramu has taken the authorities' decision in his stride and has instead recreated the entire lobby of the Colaba hotel at another suburban hotel in Juhu, which is currently being rented for shootings. The entire set has been created by art director Uday Singh and apparently Ramu has spent around R 2.5 crore towards its making.
Ramu says, `It could be traumatic for many to see the recreation of that horrible tragedy. For me, in the context of the attacks, a five star hotel is the symbol of human achievement in terms of splendour. To see blood flowing on its polished floors and its pristine walls and artifacts there to be riddled with bullets are living testimony of the ultimate barbarism Man is capable of doing.`
