With Bollywood actors like John Abraham in Afghanistan, authorities are taking no chances and have tightened security for the film crew following the murder of Indian driver Ramankutty Maniyappan by the Taliban.

Besides Abraham, "Munnabhai MBBS" actor Arshad Warsi and his wife, former veejay Maria Goretti, are also in Afghanistan to shoot for the "Kabul Express", a thriller set in the country's rugged lanscape.

Goretti, who is here for the first schedule of the film, said the Afghan police were guarding the unit round-the-clock and they were staying in a high security area.

Besides, relatives and friends of Warsi and Abraham have been calling up to inquire about their safety following the scare among Indians created by the kidnapping and subsequent killing of Border Roads Organization's Maniyappan Nov 22.

However, Goretti was confident that the unit would not get into trouble because "director Kabir Khan is thoroughly well-acquainted with Afghan sensibilities, culture, and their love for the Indian films and film personalities".

Khan, a renowned documentary filmmaker, has earlier shot a record number of documentaries in Afghanistan.

Arshad Warsi plays a cinematographer and John Abraham, a TV director in the thriller set in post 9/11 Afghanistan.

The anti-war film tells the story of a 48-hour car drive through the war-torn country that has witnessed tumult since the fall of the Taliban in 2001 when the fundamentalist hardliners were ousted by a US-led invasion.

The undeniable love for Bollywood in Afghanistan is evident as a large crowd of curious Afghans, mostly young, follow the "Kabul Express" unit wherever it goes for shooting.

Though there is a new government in place led by President Hamid Karzai and parliamentary elections were held in September this year, the remnants of the Taliban are still active in the southern part of the country and carry out attacks against foreign security personnel and aid workers as well as the government.

Very few Indian film stars have ventured to Afghanistan in the last four years for shows. This is the first time after the Taliban's ouster that a Bollywood producer has dared to shoot a film on Afghanistan in the country.

A few months ago, singer Sonu Nigam had come for a show at the invitation of his Afghan friends and got a rapturous response from the people.