Mani RatnamÂ´s Â´RaavanÂ´ : Abhishek-Aishwarya Leave For Ooty, Animal Welfare Activists Move In

Mani RatnamÂ´s Â´RaavanÂ´ : Abhishek-Aishwarya Leave For Ooty, Animal Welfare Activists Move In
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The elephant that killed a mahout at Athirappilly on Wednesday evening after it was taken to the site of shooting of Mani Ratnam’s film, ‘Raavan’, was brought under control and moved out of the area on Thursday. The film crew, including actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, left Athirappilly for Ooty around 12 noon.

The elephant, Kunju, gored its mahout Aandavan, 51, to death at Charpa around 4-50 p.m. It then ran amok and was brought under control only after midnight.

“The film crew and tourists watched the incident. Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, and the director were shifted to an inspection bungalow of the Forest Department,” said Kanichayi Baby, production manager of the film. “They remained there for a few hours till the commotion that followed the incident died down. Contrary to reports that appeared in the media, no member of the film crew was trapped in the forests.”

Animal welfare activists alleged that the elephant was used for film shooting, while the production unit maintained it was not.

“The elephant was brought to Athirappilly on Tuesday, but it was not featured in the film. We suspect that the mahout was under the influence of alcohol,” Mr. Baby said.

The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) asked the Kerala Forest Department on Thursday to inquire into the incident and submit a report. It also served a notice on the producers asking them to explain how and why the animal was featured in the film without the permission of the Board.

“Pre-shoot permission and post-shoot no-objection certificates from AWBI are mandatory for featuring animals in films,” said D. Rajasekar, AWBI secretary.

The Kerala Elephant Lovers’ Association demanded action against the producers for allegedly violating the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules of 2001.

According to veterinarian P. B. Giridas, who examined the elephant on Thursday, the animal was shot with a tranquiliser gun on Wednesday around 9-30 p.m. and 10 p.m. “The elephant shows no signs of musth. It is not clear why it became violent,” he said.

The second schedule of the shooting of Mani Ratnam’s film began at Athirappilly on July 19. The shooting was being held under heavy security and the public had no access to the sets.

The first schedule in the same area was held from September to December last year. Heavy rain had then washed away the sets.