A R Rahman’s Hollywood venture

Oscar-winning-music director A R Rahman's first Hollywood venture after 'Slumdog Millionaire', is at the centre of a
race controversy after two black actors were removed from a poster used to promote it in Britain.

The US poster for the film, a comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Kristin Davis, show all eight principal actors — six of whom are white and two black, Daily Mail online reported. However, the poster in UK omits actors Faizon Love and Kali Hawk, Contactmusic reported.

The film is about four couples who go on holiday together and receive therapy to improve their relationships.

However, the spokesperson said that the move hadn't been based on racial grounds, explaining: "(The airbrushed image was used) to simplify the poster to actors who are most recognisable in international markets".

The studio said it regretted causing offence and will not use the revised poster in other countries.

"We don't cater much for the black cinema-going audience in this country, which is a great shame, so it seems strange that when there are black stars in a major feature film this fact isn't promoted. And, in terms of business decisions, this seems a counterproductive one," Jason Solo-mons, a film critic, said.

Caspar Salmon, a 29-year-old translator from London who has seen the film, has complained to Universal. He said in a letter to the firm: "My hackles are up. I would like to ask what the thinking was behind this move to gaz-ump (Love and Hawk) from the promotional material".