Slumdog scenes tarnish image of Taj: Agra tourist trade

Agra, Feb 25 (PTI) While Slumdog Millionaire's Oscar run
has made many Indians proud, the tourist industry here in
India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh has voiced resentment
over the "failure" of the film's producers to cut "factually
incorrect" portrayal of foreigners' shoes being stolen at Taj
Mahal, and touts harassing tourists.

The scenes being objected to are the ones that show two
child actors, the hero Jamal and his elder brother Saleem,
stealing shoes of foreigners and running away with them, and
of visitors being harassed by guides and other agents.

"The scenes would have an adverse effect on foreign
tourists, who might feel the film was depicting reality,
whereas the truth was the opposite of what was being shown,"
President of the Approved Guides Association, Shamusuddin told
PTI.

He said action against the producers could be taken after
a close scrutiny of the film. A curio dealer Tahir Hussain,
however, said he was thinking of taking legal action as the
film tarnished the image of Taj and of Agra.

Members of the Tourist Guides Association claimed that
the producers had given a written undertaking to the
Archaeological Survey of India that the objectionable scenes
would not be shown in the film, but the assurance has not been
honoured.

They said that when the shooting was being done in the
forecourt of the Taj and the central tank on December 17,
2007, photographers and guides present there had confronted
the production team and strongly opposed the scenes, upon
which Assistant Producer Paul Richy had given a written
assurance to the ASI.

Meanwhile, the families of the two local boys Madhur
Mittal of Lane five of Azadnagar in the Kandhari area, who
plays the role of Salim, elder brother of the hero Jamal, and
Satyavrat Mudgal, who plays the role of guide are basking in
the glory of their children's roles in the award winning film.

However, the film itself is not doing well at the box
office here with very few people turning up for shows in the
local movie theatres. PTI CORR