At least three suspects were held for “attacking” filmmaker Nabeel Qureshi’s crew members during the shooting of the film near Karachi’s Teen Hatti area on Monday.

“A quarrel broke out when an enraged mob entered from the neighbouring house. They objected to the recording of the film,” the police said. The case of the incident was registered at the Jamshed Quarter Police Station.

The first information report (FIR) of the incident was registered under sections 337-A (punishment of shajjah), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 147 (punishment for rioting), and 146 (rioting) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the filmmaker, at least four to five members of his crew were hospitalised after a group of more than 40 people barged into the residence where they were shooting and attacked them.

“We were shooting in a house in PIB Colony. The neighbour of that house had a quarrel with the house’s landlord where we were shooting. Then around 40 to 50 people attacked us during the shooting,” he told Aaj News.

He claimed that artists were kept in a room for around one hour. They were shooting the film Sajid Mahel. A few days back media reported that Hira Mani, Mani, and Gul e Rana would be seen in a horror comedy film directed by Qureshi for the online platform.

Qureshi is a filmmaker, writer, and director. His last film Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad, starring Fahad Mustafa and Mahira Khan in lead roles had good business at the local box office. He has also made Na Maloom Afraad, Load Wedding, Khel Khel Mein, Na Maloom Afraad 2, and Actor in Law.

Actors Hira Mani and her husband Mani, who were also there, along with other artists had reached the PIB Police station to register a complaint. “It was a very unfortunate event to witness today and I wish and pray no one face that ever in their life,” Hira said in her Instagram story.

Mani while speaking to Aaj News also spoke in the same vein. When asked about the identity of the suspected mob, he said they were probably the people from the neighbourhood. He claimed that the robbed mobiles and wallets of the crew members.

“They took everything and attacked us,” he said and added that they would never come again for the shooting of the film in the area.

The incident occurred near Noori Baba shrine on Jamshed Road, according to a police statement. It alleged that the local people objected to making noise during the filming.

They claimed that a video was being made without the permission of the women of the neighborhood. “On which there was a bitter conversation between the staff and the local residents,” it said, adding that the police reached the scene and controlled the situation.

Initially, the police said there was “no evidence” of looting.

Actor Mahira Khan, who has worked with Qureshi, was shocked to hear about the incident and asked “who was responsible for this”.

Earlier, Qureshi had shared his “ordeal” in a series of tweets. He claimed that around 100 people were working on the shoot at the PIB Colony/Jamshed Quarter, Martin Road. “The mob harrases women, actresses, beat the shit out of crew, and stole mobiles, equipment,” he said.

According to the filmmaker, this has never happened before in Karachi. He alleged that the mob was equipped with weapons and stole mobiles and wallets. “They do not care about ladies they raise their hands etc,” he added.

He demanded of the Sindh police and Rangers to take action against such people and make an example out of it. The filmmaker also the film fraternity to make sure that such an incident do not happen again.

“I still cannot believe it, still in trauma of what has happened we had kids like 6/7 years of age, and hira keep on requesting them to behave from inside the door they were not listening, they broke the door ! It is so disturbing!” Qureshi added.