By Hindustan Times
Salman Khan the actor recently courted controversy after being mistaken for a troublemaker by none instead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The incident occurred when the actor was shooting a gun chase in Zakho (at the Syria-Iraq-Turkey border), considered to be a volatile area, for Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger.
A source from the unit claims that while shooting the action sequences, the film’s unit were told to stick put for a few hours by the NATO forces.
The official spokesperson of the film confirms, “Salman, at the side of 40 crew members, came under the radar of the NATO forces within the area while shooting a gun chase and a few firing sequences for the film. Katrina Kaif, who might be seen with Salman after four years, was not present in this sequence.”
The espionage thriller was shot around Mardin and Zakho. The spokesperson adds, “Zakho is a sensitive zone. While shooting the action sequence, snipers picked up the sound (of gunshots) as their forces had a base on a hilltop nearby. Four army helicopters were sent and a red alert was declared. There has been such a lot confusion that the unit needed to lie at the ground for hours until local authorities were called to let NATO know that it was only a film shoot.”
Kabir Khan isn't new to shooting in troubled locations. The director’s debut film Kabul Express (2006), which featured John Abraham and Arshad Warsi, was shot extensively in Kabul, Afganistan, after the Taliban’s regime ended. The film’s cast and crew were reportedly sent death threats by the Taliban, however the Afghan government provided tight security to enable filming.
Salman launches online petition for Sarabjit
After using his Twitter handle to induce millions of his fans around the globe to support him in his campaign for Sarabjit Singh’s release from a jail in Pakistan, Salman Khan has now intensified his appeal by launching a web-based petition. Tweeting about it, he said, “Please sign the net petition in support of Sarabjit’s release. http://www.facebook.com/beinghumanonline.” His sister Arpita has also requested her friends and followers on Facebook and BlackBerry Messenger to sign the petition.
