Will Taj move to another location?

An ambitious Hollywood project on the Taj Mahal, slated to be shot in Mumbai, might now be shot elsewhere.

The international crew of the film Taj — valued at $25 million (Rs 126 crore approximately) — reportedly doesn’t want to be in Mumbai post the 26/11 terror attacks.

Written by Krishna Shah, Taj is based on the romance between Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal which saw the Mughal emperor build the 17th century monument. Taj is set to be directed by Michael Radford and will comprise both Indian and Western actors.

“Taj will take sometime to kick off as post 26/11, the situation has changed. There is security concern and the Western crew is looking at everything before planning their move. It will at least take 2-3 months before the ball starts rolling. The team has to come and see all the locations. The film was originally supposed to be shot in Mumbai and Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad but now we don’t know where it will all happen,” says Krishna Shah.

A source reveals, “The terror attack on Mumbai has been a big jolt to the image of the country and people are apprehensive to come to India. International film crews are also cautious due to this change in perception and Mumbai might not be the hottest place to shoot for the Taj crew now. However, things might change in future.”

This period film will also focus on the then political situation of India in the backdrop of the romance.