‘Singh is Bling’ shoot postponed in Punjab village due to polls, village gets a pleasant makeover
Decked up for the shoot of Prabhu Deva directed ‘Singh is Bling’ movie- starring Akshay Kumar and Lara Dutta- the village has gone through an unbelievable makeover since crew started preparations. However, with the village falling under poll bound Dhuri constituency, the district administration has ordered the postponement of the shooting and now it will begin after April 11.
An array of colors from red to orange and yellow to blue in every street and the village Mullowal in district Sangrur has been turned into a fairy-tale town in past two days.
Decked up for the shoot of Prabhu Deva directed ‘Singh is Bling’ movie- starring Akshay Kumar and Lara Dutta- the village has gone through an unbelievable makeover since crew started preparations. However, with the village falling under poll bound Dhuri constituency, the district administration has ordered the postponement of the shooting and now it will begin after April 11.
The production crew landed up in the village (2 months back) looking for an ancient home to shoot some sequences.
Jasvir Singh, 37, whose ancestral home was finally chosen and has been painted in bright orange and yellow colors with beautiful drawings and carvings on the walls, told Indian Express, “They landed in our village after visiting many other villages in Punjab. They were looking for an old haveli styled home retained in its original shape and they liked our place. Ours is an ancestral home almost 100 years old with wooden ceilings, broad gates and walls, old bricks etc with fifth generation living here.”
Mullowal is a historic village as it is believed that Guru Teg Bahadur visited the village and since then villagers have not allowed liquor or tobacco shop to mushroom in the village. Already a model village, villagers said that this shooting makeover has only enhanced the outer appearance of their village as streets have been cleaned and painted in bright hues with decorations on walls by the production team.
As far as polls are concerned, the villagers say that they do not have any special demands for village. “We have water and sanitation facility and roads and street lights are good enough. Due to the piousness of the land, we have not allowed a liquor and tobacco shop to crop up ever in our village. We are ecstatic that ours was the chosen one for shoot of movie and villagers are really excited,” said village sarpanch Chamkaur Singh.
Jasvir Singh added that ‘preparations are on but production house is yet to intimate them of exact dates and Akshay Kumar’s arrival.’ “It is like a festival going on in village and people are asking me for passes to visit my home during shooting. But presently even we are not sure if family would be allowed to see shoot or not. But we are really grateful to team for pleasant makeover,” he said.
The villagers have also geared up to serve Punjabi food to Akshay Kumar and are asking for permission from crew to serve home cooked food. “Punjabis have large hearts and Akshay will be our guest. We want he should taste lassi, paranthas and butter once,” said Pritam Singh, 65.
With village being thronged by visitors from nearby villages, villagers said that more than Dhuri bypoll, people are interested in knowing about Akshay Kumar’s arrival. “We have no clue. What should we tell them,” said Pritam. Villagers have been told that sequence of a jatt (played by Akshay) getting visa and hopping in madness will be shot in streets of Mullowal along with a song.
Navreet Sekhon, assistant commissioner (General), Sangrur told Express, “Production team asked for permission in Mullowal and Bagrian villages of Sangrur but Mullowal falls under Dhuri and to avoid any security issues during bypoll we are not allowing shooting till April 11. There is no issue of code violation but security issues are there.” Shooting will also be held at some places in Patiala.
Source:: Indian Express
