MUMBAI, Nov. 6 -- Azad Maidan has hosted events beyond sports - from political rallies to religious functions to protests. On Thursday, a film shoot took over the ground, forcing the cancellation of two finals of the U-16 Harris Shield Plate Group and affecting nearly 80 school cricketers. The two matches, between VK Menon Academy and Nandchaya Vidyaniketan, and RR Education and DSD School, were scheduled to begin at 9.30am. However, a crew, shooting for a Bollywood movie, arrived around 8am and continued to shoot till noon. Around 40-50 crew members and several vehicles occupied the premises. The two finals have now been rescheduled for November 6 in Kandivali. "They prevented the children from playing and we were asked to leave by security personnel and the police. They told us they had paid Rs.80,000 as rent to the Sports Department and booked the ground," said Nadim Memon, Apex Council member of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). The Sports Department did not respond to a request for comment. Official documents show that the production company had been granted permission to use 4,000 square yards of Azad Maidan between 6am and noon on November 4. The shoot took place on November 5. The government approval was issued on October 30, followed by a permission letter from the Deputy Director of Sports and Youth Services on November 2. It made obtaining an NOC from the MCA mandatory. Memon said the production team had neither approached MCA for an NOC nor informed its officials about the shoot. In a letter on November 2, the MCA objected to the shoot and sought withdrawal of the nod....