Orlando Bloom was deported from India after his e-visa was deemed invalid upon his arrival in the country. The actor was denied entry despite the government’s invitation for Bloom to visit India.

The “Lord of the Rings” actor had an unpleasant day on Saturday, Dec. 19, when he travelled from London to Delhi, India only to be sent back to London after a few hours. According to Economic Times of India, Bloom was invited by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh state, Akhilesh Yadav, to visit the Taj Mahal which was a move meant to promote the country’s tourism. However, it was only upon the actor’s arrival in Delhi when he learnt that his e-visa applied for on Nov. 30 was rejected.

Bloom then flew back to London and was eventually given a visa through the intervention of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Economic Times reports. The actor travelled back to India on Sunday, Dec. 20.

Politician Amir Singh, who hosted Bloom during his visit to the country, told Economic Times that the actor had applied for an Indian e-visa but failed to get a reply on his application. Singh explained that the actor’s office thought Bloom will be issued the visa upon arrival.

“His office was never informed that the visa has been rejected for whatever technical fault and they are not used to the intricacies of the Indian system,” Singh added. “He took a British Airways flight and they were satisfied with the e-visa and thought it will never be rejected.”

Singh also shared that Bloom was feeling unwell upon his arrival in India, but the immigration officials were not sympathetic to his condition. “Bloom had a stomach ache and doctors came to attend to him,” he mentioned during his interview with Economic Times. “He was even advised to be admitted to a hospital. But he was still sent back. He was quite sad about the turn of events."

Meanwhile, Singh was also appreciative that Bloom had agreed to fly back once they were able to sort out his visa requirements, The Guardian reports. Singh stated, “Bloom is so humble and down-to-earth … Even though he was being deported from India, he readily agreed to fly back from Heathrow the same day if I succeeded in arranging his visa. No Bollywood star would’ve done that.”

Upon the actor’s successful entry to the country, Singh accompanied Bloom on a tour of Agra’s famous Taj Mahal. The government’s invitation to Bloom was a move made to help bring in more foreign tourists to the landmark. According to The Guardian, the number of tourists to the site has dropped in the last three years by 150,000. In 2014 alone, only 640,000 were recorded to have visited the famous monument.

Contact the writer at h.marfil@ibtimes.com.au, or let us know what you think below.

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