Julia Roberts Prevents Indian Locals From Worshipping?

UPDATE:
An anonymous commenter on this article, which we can't verify, writes in the following via email:

As an anonymous crew member of the film, I can tell you that the stories coming out of India are completely false. It's amazing that stories that aren't fact checked in India become fact in other publications. If someone bothered to contact Swami Dharmadev, he would tell them that the temple was open and that we filmed in other locations that day. Also, no children have been displaced from the school at the Ashram. And as far as the reports about 150 security men, bullet proof cars, 40 gunmen, and a helicopter... Absolutely ridiculous. So many untruths.

PREVIOUSLY:
Julia Roberts' latest movie is stopping Indian villagers from worshiping at their local temple, and they aren't happy about it, according to one report from the BBC.

Roberts has been careful to don traditional robes, respect local customs and even sport a bindi spot while on set in India shooting 'Eat, Pray, Love,' the film adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's best-selling book.

Roberts has been shooting scenes at the Ashram Hari Mandir, a temple about 30 miles from New Delhi. Her 350-person security detail has sealed off the temple during one of the most important Hindu festivals, Navratri, during the holiest time of the year, the BBC reports. Locals trying to enter the temple to begin the nine-day celebration were turned away by police.

Here she is on Tuesday with a religious leader, Swami Dharmadev.

Comments

[Ergon]

Sorry, but I find the BBC report more credible than that of some anonymous flack.

[Bulbul]

Is Julia still that important to stop the Hindu religious events ? October is an important month for Hindus, oh well....

[kidolympic]

could have been happier the villages moments if they were allowed bumper cars.

http://inventors.typepad.com/absolutelynew/2009/05/so-a-croc-walks-into-an-auto-factory.html

[Darba]

This shows where Hollywood (american) respect for other than themselves stops !
I don't think Julia Roberts was consulted on this decision.

[ReedYoung]

Especially since the whole story is cut from whole cloth, it's very likely she was not consulted.

[joebiz]

Religion poisons everything, including Hollywood.

[screamformechicago]

Question: how does your statement relate at all to the article? A Hollywood film is allegedly disrupting religious worship, and yet you claim that religion is "poison," even negatively impacting Hollywood. I think you have it backwards, at least in the present context.

Religion may, in fact, embody some of the worst traits of humanity at times (it is made up of humans, after all), but to use this article to take a cheap shot is lame.

[ReedYoung]

The update indicates that the whole story is made up, and the whole made up story depends on religion for its false basis. Not necessarily what joebiz meant, but consistent with what he said.

[jukesgrrl]

Somebody OK'd the shooting and somebody got paid, so the local residents' complaint, legitimate as it may be, isn't with any actor on the film.

[LiberalBuzz]

She's a poor actress with a great PR team.

BUT A 350 MAN SECURITY TEAM? She's not that bad.

[andj]

a poor actress with millions in the bank, an oscar and more ticket sales then most actresses.

(its more impressive when you consider that she has not achieved this with franchises eg transformers, starwars, laura croft)

[Peter Noble 2]

Stupid Americans...

[jatin]

No Americans are not stupid, it is the BBC that has done it again. Indians love America and their movies. No matter what the news is, BBC has to have a say about India related news, and more often a nasty one. The villagers in the village where Julia and crew is filming in a small town, were not protesting the way it is being reported. They just wanted to know why were they not being let inside. The press being the press, especially the likes of BBC, have made an issue out of it for obvious reasons. And by the way, the "INDIA" BBC talks about here is the India that does NOT watch Hollywood movies. Had it been the metros or bigger towns, they would love Julia's presence and want more of her, next only to India's own movie stars. Do not forget, India is a movie crazy country, makes the highest no. of movies on the planet, and is the second only country on the planet whose Movie industry survives primarily on domestically made cinema, and related distribution and exhibition industry, which is next only to the USA. Movie goer Indians would welcome Julia, no matter what.

[andj]

dont you just hate that biased BBC - if only they were more like Fox which does the real reporting.

[bigredsteelworker]

this is just payback for everyone laughing at her hairy armpits years ago

[Azmom]

This=not newsworthy.

[sjcb8]

LOL...literally...

if aniston would make a movie other than the same recycled romantic comedy, maybe we could make a fair comparison.

[BurtR]

Lyle Lovett was lucky to get rid if her. Jennifer Aniston is a better actress than she is.

[nemain]

IS there some reason why you couldn't have built a set?

[bangagong]

Why in the hell would anyone think this is her responsibility? How many people were really inconvenienced for how long? There are a lot of films made in India. Similar situation must arise regularly. Sounds like a cheap shot to me.

[themeeg]

It appears an entire village was inconvenienced.

[larry278]

The only thing that was cheap about this incident whas the conduct of the American's making the film by usurping control of a religious site from the worshipers who used & prayed at the holy site.
Scrub the plans to sell Tyoda's Ca site the Japanese firm is abandoning to India's Tata conglomerate. Tata isn't going to touch Ca for fear of being contaminated by Hollywood till Bollywood's money people take over what remains of Hollywood.

[mmonarch]

There was not a lot of love between Roberts and the locals when she filmed Sleeping with the Enemy either.