Brad and Angelina's speedy getaway on the back of a tuk tuk

Pitt and Jolie are in Pune to shoot scenes for a movie about the life of slain journalist Daniel Pearl.

• See the video of Brad and Angelina's tuk tuk getaway

But the celebrity couple have been holed up at the city's Le Meridian hotel since arriving late week, presumably trying to avoid the horde of photographers, reporters and cameramen camped outside the hotel.

The situation got out of hand on Saturday afternoon when Pitt and Jolie tried to leave the hotel and one of their security guards caught a British photographer trying to take their photo, grabbing the man by his neck and verbally abusing him.

Video of the incident was broadcast on India's CNN-IBN news channel, and the Hindustan Times newspaper identified the photographer as Sam Relph of Barcroft Media.

The newspaper reported that the security guard had shouted at photographers to stop shooting the couple and moved for Relph when he refused to put down his camera.

"He said if I took his pictures he would kill me," the Times quoted Relph as saying. "I couldn't breathe. He had his fingers on my windpipe and he knew what he was doing."

Two Indian journalists also complained that they too had been threatened by the same security guard, who was not identified in the report.

Security for the star couple has been tight since their arrival in Pune by private jet late last week.

They are reportedly scheduled on Monday to start shooting scenes for "A Mighty Heart," in which Jolie plays Pearl's widow, Mariane.

The movie is based on an adaptation of Mariane Pearl's book, "A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl," and will be co-produced by Plan B, a production company founded by Pitt and his ex-wife, actress Jennifer Aniston.