The three-day shooting schedule of producer-director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Black at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS), expired on Saturday evening without the crew showing up.Bhansali had been permitted to shoot some scenes of his Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee starrer at the IIAS by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI). The Institute authorities objected to the ASI decision alleging they should have been taken into confidence.‘‘We had taken up the matter at the highest level. We expressed concern that shooting on the Institute campus would lead to a wrong trend,’’ an official told The Indian Express.The film unit had permission to shoot the film on the campus from January 15 to 17, but the director it seems preferred to skip controversy.‘‘It would have caused a major disturbance to the researchers. But no one had come for the shoot till this evening,’’ informed an IIAS official on Saturday.When reached over the telephone, ASI officials in Chandigarh stated that they hadn’t violated any norms in allowing the shoot. ‘‘It is not unprecedented. We have been allowing film units to shoot even at the Red Fort and other historical places. Moreover, the film crew was to shoot outside the Institute as they wanted an outer view of the majestic building,’’ said an ASI official.Asked if the ASI had withdrawn the permission granted to the film unit, he said the shooting was scheduled until today. ‘‘With the deadline ending, the permission automatically stands null and void. The film crew has not applied for extension of the permission,’’ he stated.Meanwhile, the crew today shot some scenes with Rani Mukherjee at Kufri and Fagu. Some scenes were also shot near Hotel Woodville Palace where the crew is lodged.
