Oscar winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley is unfit for the role of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, said Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy, who claims to be a descendant of the dynasty.

Sporting a royal beard, a crown and a pendant, Tucy symbolised the splendour of the bygone era when he addressed media persons from the Taj Khema mound overlooking the Taj Mahal Saturday evening and expressed concern at the misrepresentation of history by film makers.

"I have written to Sir Ben Kingsley to ensure factual accuracy and consult us before venturing into his new project on the Taj Mahal.

"Personally, I think Ben is unfit for the role of Shah Jahan. He should have taken a younger actor, " Tucy, a software engineer and owner of two firms in Hyderabad, said.

He said he had advised Ben to send the script for his clearance. He had earlier expressed his reservations about Jodha Akbar and had gone to court.

Sir Ben Kingsley is best known for starring as Mahatma Gandhi in the film 'Gandhi' in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Tucy was in Agra to meet officials of the Archaeological Survey of India to ensure proper maintenance of the Taj Mahal and other Mughal monuments.

He also appealed to the government of India to posthumously honour the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar with Bharat Ratna.

Speaking to us, Tucy said he was the great grandson of the last Mughal emperor. He presented legal documents and facts relating to the decree by the Hyderabad Civil Court declaring him and other descendants as heirs of the first freedom fighter.

Tucy said he had established a trust and asked all Mughal family members to come under one banner and help each other.