ADHM - Taj turns serial thriller.........

The Taj has often glowed in 70 mm. On Monday, it basked in the winter sun for its cameo on television. In a first of sorts, the unit of Sony Television serial Aisa Des Hai Mera shot the honeymoon sequence of lead actors Gaurav Chopra and Saumya Tandon in the premises of the beautiful mausoleum. Romance was in the air, and the frames picture-perfect.

The television industry has so far preferred not to shoot at the Taj Mahal because of the time-consuming task of getting the green signal from concerned authorities. "It must have crossed the minds of many TV producers to shoot there, but the cumbersome process of getting permission from the officials must have put them off. As Taj Mahal is a national heritage, getting permission to shoot there is quite difficult. But if your papers are in order, it doesn't take much time to get the permit for shooting," says Imtiyaz Punjabi, creative director of Aisa Des Hai Mera.

According to a senior official in the administration department for the Taj Mahal, there are several factors which are looked into before granting permission to shoot at the historical monument. "First of all, we have to see that the regular movement of tourists does not get affected. If the shooting of a film or a TV serial is diverting the flow of tourists, it is difficult for us to give permission to them for shooting," he says.

Citing another factor, he says, "There are lots of things like large reflectors, cranes, and other heavy electronic equipments which are not allowed inside the premises of the Taj. So, we have to see whether the film unit is ready to abide by these rules or not before granting any sort of permission for shooting."

The verification of these points results in a long time gap between the seeking and granting of permission for shooting at the Taj. It took more than three weeks for the makers of Aisa Des Hai Mera to get permission. Actor Gaurav Chopra, who is playing the main lead in the show, feels privileged to be the first TV actor to shoot at the Taj Mahal. "Though it's a great feeling to shoot here, I hope that the government takes concrete steps to preserve and protect this beautiful monument," he says.

Saumya Tandon feels the same way about shooting at the Taj. "It is a matter of honour for us to be the first TV unit to shoot here. I personally see the Taj Mahal as an opportunity for our country to promote tourism, provided the government takes care of it properly," she says