Fact Check: Film shoot goes VIRAL as illegal migrants raise Bangladeshi flags

Local police dismissed any illegal migrant or Bangladeshi angle to the incident, adding that the film crew had sought proper permission before shooting.

India Today Fact Check

Claim
This video shows illegal migrants raising Bangladeshi flags in Maharashtra.

Fact
The video is from a film shooting in Virar, Maharashtra. Local police confirmed that the crew had obtained the necessary permissions.

A video of a group of people marching on a road with Bangladeshi flags has gone viral. Some shared the clip with captions like, "Bangladeshi flag raised by illegals in Maharashtra's Virar." Others linked it to the Special Intensive Revision of the voter lists and wrote: "This is not Bangladesh. This is Mumbai. Tells us how important SIR actually is."

India Today Fact Check found that while the video is from Virar in Maharashtra, it actually shows a film shoot.

OUR PROBE

A closer look at the video raised suspicions about its authenticity. A mounted camera is visible at the beginning and again around the 12-second mark. A cloth diffuser, typically used to control lighting during shoots, could also be seen. Both suggested the footage was from a film production.

A reverse search of the video’s frames led us to an October 4 Facebook post by In24news. It stated that a Bangladeshi flag was raised during a shoot in Virar, Palghar, triggering protests from local groups. ABP Majha, in a report dated October 4, noted that locals had complained to the police and set fire to the Bangladeshi flag in protest.

We also found a clip uploaded to the YouTube channel of TV24 Mumbai that captured the aftermath of the controversy. Several youths were seen attempting to burn the Bangladeshi flag.

According to India Today's Palghar-based reporter, Pravin Nalawade, the location falls under the jurisdiction of Bolinj police station. India Today Fact Check then spoke to station in-charge Prakash Kawde, who dismissed any illegal migrant or Bangladeshi angle to the video.

He confirmed that the film crew had been granted permission for the outdoor shoot, including blocking one side of the road, but added that the police were not aware of the specific content being filmed.

It is therefore evident that a video from a film shoot in Virar was falsely shared as illegal migrants raising Bangladeshi flags in Maharashtra.

- Ends