A smooth-talking man, who allegedly conned an estate agent into handing over the keys of a house up for sale and then moved in 30 movie extras from a Bollywood film being shot in Cape Town, is being investigated for fraud.
So convincing was Kiran Kara, a British citizen who has been living in Durban, that he also inveigled himself on to the set of the star-studded movie - and even invited the media and introduced them to the stars, Salman Khan and Priyanka Choprabiha.
But he was finally booted from the set when he issued a statement slamming the Cape Town Film Commission, saying the moviemakers were being badly treated, even though they had come to South Africa after being invited by Western Cape premier Ebrahim Rasool. Filmad Afrika line producer Salim Aboobaker said Kara had claimed to be an "academic doctor" who had studied at the University of London, but could not remember the subject of his thesis.
Kara, he added, had "muscled his way on to the set" by offering accommodation to the movie's Indian dancers in a Sea Point home he claimed he owned.
Beryl Lee, the house owner, said she had accepted an offer to purchase her home from Kara - but there had been several hiccups in the contract and the deal had not gone through.
"He had not taken transfer or occupation, but took the keys from my agent saying he wanted to show his architect the house," Lee said.
"The next day trucks arrived and 32 beds were carried into the house. Fortunately I got them out a few days later," she said.
She has laid a charge of fraud with Sea Point police, claiming Kara had obtained the keys under false pretences.
Estate agent Dov Nojman, who marketed the house, said Kara represented himself as a property developer and produced a business card to this effect. "Then I got a frantic call from Mrs Lee who said people had moved into her house. When I went to check, there were curtains on the windows where there had been none," Nojman said.
Meanwhile, Kara had started contacting the local media to offer them interviews with the movie's stars, and also to arrange photo shoots on set.
"I don't know what his motives were but the statements he made about the authorities and us being at loggerheads were untrue," Aboobaker said.
Kara earlier claimed that Filmad Afrika had cancelled locations in New Zealand and Australia after Rasool invited them to film in Cape Town in October.
"But when we got here it was just uphill from the authorities, kicking us out off locations left right and centre," Kara said last week, adding: "World famous actor Salman Khan walked off set when we were shooting in the dunes near Melkbosstrand.
"We stand to lose millions of dollars if we don't get co-operation from the Film Commission. I don't think we are welcome here."
Aboobaker said there were always "little hiccups" in an operation as big as a film shoot but they were definitely not at war with the authorities and no actor had walked off the set.
"Salman just disappeared for coffee, that's all."
When Kara was confronted this week, he claimed to be a partner in a local promotions company. He said: "There may have been a small misunderstanding here and there, but I stick to what I said."
Mansoor Mohamed, executive director: economic and social development, said the Cape Town Film Commission "actively supports the film industry".