India plans to lodge a complaint against a BBC documentary on Mumbai slums, describing it 'poverty porn' as it portrays a very wrong image of India's commercial capital and will affect its tourism.
The Indian High Commission in the UK will lodge a complaint with the British media watchdog Ofcom about the content of BBC Channel 4's' two-part documentary, the 'Grand Designs on Dharavi Slums in Mumbai' showing children living among open sewers, dead rats and toxic wastes.
According to an official, the High Commission in London granted a filming permit to Kevin McCloud, the TV presenter of the channel in the belief that he was making a programme highlighting Mumbai's architectural history.
"We thought it would be about the architecture of Mumbai but it was only about slums. He was showing dirty sewage and dead rats, children playing among rubbish and people living in these small rooms.
He never talked about architecture at all," the official said.
Describing it as 'poverty porn', the official said "we are upset. Many people know India but for people who don't travel, they will think all of India is like this. Of course it will affect our tourism. It is not representative at all."
{{/usCountry}}Describing it as 'poverty porn', the official said "we are upset. Many people know India but for people who don't travel, they will think all of India is like this. Of course it will affect our tourism. It is not representative at all."
{{/usCountry}}Channel4 and the production company, Talkback Thames, said: "Kevin McCloud follows everyday life in Dharavi and the film is a balanced and insightful account of his experience there."