'Peddlers' team in customs hassle

Mumbai, May 31 (IANS) "Peddlers" co-producer Guneet Monga and director Vasan Bala were held up at the Mumbai airport by customs officials for carrying iPads and were released after they paid the customs duty.

They reached the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here Wednesday evening after showcasing the movie at the Cannes Critics' Week, a parallel section of the 65th Cannes International Film Festival, and competing for the prestigious Camera d'Or.

Producer Anurag Kashyap had gifted the iPads to Bala and Monga to celebrate the success of the screening of "Peddlers". Since they were brand new, the customs officers asked for declarations on the pieces, said a statement.

"They asked for a bill and made them pay 36 percent duty for a gift that they got from Anurag. Moreover, the customs officials were extremely rude and told both that they should know this before travelling that there is a duty on carrying iPads," said a source.

Bala said: "It's strange that laptops are okay because it's old technology. But since the iPad is new, it gives some scope for detention and scrutiny. I also overheard that it's an either/or situation either one laptop or one iPad. Both apparently can't be carried without declaration. So Strange! Anyway it's now on the list with cameras for declaration. It's best to carry nothing."

Monga says iPads were gifts, so they didn't have a proof of purchase.

"Our iPads were gifted to us by Anurag. How do they expect us to carry receipts? It's very troublesome and unnecessary," she said.

"Peddlers" features Gulshan Devaiah, Siddharth Menon, Nimrat Kaur and Kriti Malhotra.