Mercedes, Coke ‘snubs’ on Mumbai slums upset Boyle

Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle was upset after Mercedes Benz bosses refused to let him use the sedan in his film because...

Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle was upset after Mercedes Benz bosses refused to let him use the sedan in his film because the scene would depict Indian gangsters driving around Mumbai’s slum areas.

Boyle said he wanted to be authentic while showing the Indian underworld but had a tight budget, so he approached Mercedes and asked them to loan him a vehicle in return for product placement, the Contactmusic reported.

The makers were initially happy to help him but when they realised that the car would be driven by gangsters, they outright refused. “Mercedes don’t want one of their cars being driven around the slums in India,” Boyle said. “It’s the status symbol. It would’ve been completely fake for me not to do it in a Mercedes.”

“Coca Cola don’t want to be seen in a rubbish dump (scene) giving drinks to (the orphaned) children, so we had to change the brand. It bugs me badly because a film like James Bond opens and it’s just a walking advertising board for luggage, wristwatches… it’s just obscene. The fact that we were banned from using something that’s a real part of life is incredible. I think it’s awful,” Boyle complained.