Leonardo DiCaprio avoids media glare, pays a quiet visit to Taj Mahal

Agra: Avoiding media glare and limelight, Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio paid a quiet visit to Taj Mahal here in the early hours of Saturday. The 40-year-old "Inception" star, who was in India to shoot an untitled documentary on climate change, wore a grey T-shirt and sported a golf cap.

A tourist guide Ved Gautam said, "We learnt a little later about his visit and missed him by inches. But security guards told us that he was spotted by another foreign tourist, who instantly recognised him.

"His beard actually prevented his early recognition. But he left the Taj Mahal around 9 am, before holiday crowd could come."

Sources in the Archaeological Survey of India said his private guards did not let anyone get closer to him. Tourists, who recognised him, were asked not to take pictures. CISF guards, maintaining internal security, said they failed to identify him but had heard of his role in the Oscar-winning classic "Titanic".

The actor, who starred alongside Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in 2013 film "The Great Gatsby", spent around two hours and showed keen interest in the fascinating history of the 17th century white marble mausoleum, a world heritage site, according to sources. DiCaprio left the monument in a golf cart.