Recently, the Rajasthan High Court asked the crew of the Salman Khan-starrer Veer to pack its bags following a wall collapse during the shooting in the Amber Fort in Jaipur.

Are there sufficient safeguards to protect heritage monuments in Delhi getting damaged during shoots?

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) says yes. In the Capital, shooting is permitted only with close supervision to ensure that the crew doesn’t flout rules, it says.

And violators have been punished in the past. The ASI says shooting of Veer Zaara in Humayun’s Tomb was stalled after Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta ventured into forbidden areas inside the monument.

“There are specific rules to get licences for filming under the Ancient Monuments and Archaelogical Sites and Remains Act, 1958, and the procedure is strictly followed in Delhi,” a senior ASI official said.

To shoot inside heritage monuments, applicants from the film industry have to apply through Form IX, which asks detailed questions about “the nature and purpose of the proposed filming operation and the context in which the monument is proposed to be filmed”. Besides, three copies of the relevant extracts of the script and details of the scenes have to be submitted.

“We are very strict with clearing these applications and allow only those shoots which have some relevance to the monument,” K K Mohammad, superintending archaeologist, Delhi circle, ASI, said. Mohammad is in-charge of giving permission for these shoots.

An ASI official told Newsline: “It is important for us to know how the film will project the monument; we cannot allow distortion of history. We cannot allow a film song to be shot at a place like Humayun’s Tomb or a bhajan at a mosque.

“Also, the film should not show the monuments in bad light. It was for this reason that Amitabh Bachhan was denied permission to shoot at the Tughlaqabad Fort, for the script portrayed the fort as a dacoit’s den.”

“We ask details like the number of cast and crew members to be present at the spot and the duration of the operation,” the official said. “No props are allowed inside the monument. Even artificial rain is not permitted.”

Though permission to film is to be taken at least three months in advance, the producers usually come at the last moment with recommendations from political bigwigs, the official said.

But after the script is approved and other conditions are met, “permission has also been granted in 24 hours”.

“Many times the producers try flouting rules, but it is difficult to penalise them as they use political connections. But we depute senior conservation assistants at the site during shooting, who ensure that the no damage is done to the monuments,” a senior ASI official said on condition of anonymity.

Under rule 48 of the Act, violators can be fined Rs 500 or booked under Section 30, which invites penalty of Rs 5,000 or imprisonment up to three months or both. The rule states: “No court inferior to that of a Presidency Magistrate or a Magistrate of the first Class shall try any offence under this Act.”

“We charge a paltry sum of Rs 5,000 for a day of shoot, and a refundable security deposit of Rs 10,000. And this money goes to the Consolidated Fund of India; nothing stays with the ASI,” Mohammad said.

Since the rules have been tightened, applications to film inside monuments have decreased. “Over the past eight months, only two feature films have approached us for permission. By now most producers know we are strict in our screening,” Mohammad said. “In comparison, during the last few years approximately 20-30 applications would come every year.”