"It's the holiest time of year and we must not be stopped from visiting our own temple."

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Julia Roberts angers faithful on Indian film



By Laura Armstrong 23/09/2009

Hollywood superstar Julia Roberts has sparked anger among local people as she shoots her latest movie in rural India.

Roberts, 41, and her three children are staying at the luxurious Pataudi Palace about an hour's drive from Indian capital Delhi.

Although the actress has impressed religious leaders by wearing traditional clothes, some worshippers have been upset by the use of their Hindu temple as a film set.

Shakuntala Devi, who was turned away at the front gate, said: "It's the holiest time of year and we must not be stopped from visiting our own temple."

Around 350 security staff, including police, more than 100 bouncers and nearly 40 gunmen are guarding the star and her family during filming of Eat, Pray, Love.

Bulletproof cars are used to take the star to and from the set and helicopters patrol the skies overhead.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv-entertainment/film-news/2009/09/23/julia-roberts-angers-faithful-on-indian-film-115875-21693870/

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. Whoever runs the temple

decided the revenue derived from its use as a movie set was more important than its being open to the faithful.

I love when capitalism and religion clash....................

[Ruby the Liberal]

3. I should have refreshed before commenting. You beat me to it.

:toast:

[Ruby the Liberal]

2. I am not familiar enough with Hindu to know what the "holiest time of the year is", but

Wouldn't the production staff have a vested interest in discerning that before putting the production schedule together? And what of the temple staff that agreed to it?

[grantcart]

4. Hindu is a splintered religion and each locality has its own dieties and its own

schedule.


All temples have factions just like churches and my reading on this is that the faction that is currently out of power is trying to make a fuss.

At my Buddhist temple our faction has just taken back the key power base - the PTA for the Bhuddist school - and we now rule. The 'Bush is a good guy and the Iraqi War must be a good idea group' must now sit on the sidelines - lol.

[chaplainM]

6. "Please do not offer my god a peanut"

We could learn a lot about religious tolerance from Apu.

[Ruby the Liberal]

7. Interesting. Thanks for posting, that was helpful!

[JuniperLea]

5. I'm sure Julia had nothing to do with this...

Misplaced anger... nothing new about that.

The film company didn't just barge in; someone had to have approved this. Whoever that someone is should have fully explained it to the Hindu populace of the area.

[mitchum]

8. Oh, is she branching out from "meet cute" to "meet cult"?

What range!