Slumdog scenes tarnish image of Taj: Agra tourist trade

“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 reporters.

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.