The Maharashtra authorities has requested the Union authorities to re-examine the Marathi movie Khalid ka Shivaji and halt its release, following complaints by right-wing organisations alleging inaccurate portrayal of historical past. The Congress has criticised the federal government, calling it a “ridiculous and condemnable attempt to diminish the towering stature of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj”. The movie was formally screened on the Cannes Film Festival this yr.
While citing historic texts, Congress chief Sachin Sawant stated, “Why can’t Maharaj be Khalid’s hero? Why is the BJP so disturbed if Muslims identify with the values of Shivaji Maharaj? Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a Rayatecha Raja —a king of the people — not a ruler of any one community.”
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar stated the federal government wouldn’t tolerate the perversion of historical past. The controversy escalated after protestors raised slogans towards the movie throughout a latest State pageant.
“The government has taken a serious note of the complaints received about the movie. There is a demand to ban the movie. The CBFC comes under the jurisdiction of the Union government. We want to examine how the movie received Censor Board certification – if the committee had studied the movie properly. We also want to know how the movie was selected for the Cannes Film Festival, and if there is any mischief in it. We are going to probe all of it,” Mr. Shelar stated.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kiran Kulkarni, Secretary of the Cultural Affairs Department, has written to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting looking for to halt the release of the movie.
According to the publicly out there trailer, the movie depicts a schoolboy named Khalid who attracts inspiration from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Congress targets BJP
“It is absolutely unbecoming of the State government to request the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to halt the release of the film Khalid ka Shivaji, based merely on its trailer — which, notably, is not even particularly objectionable – and without any genuine understanding of the film’s actual content. This move clearly appears to be driven by pressure from right-wing organisations and aligned with BJP’s divisive political ideology. Once again, it becomes evident that the BJP is intent on portraying Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj solely as an icon of Hindutvavad – a narrow, bigoted, and conservative image that is factually incorrect — rather than as a symbol of Manavatavad [Humanism]. This is a ridiculous and condemnable attempt to diminish the towering stature of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and a complete disservice to the progressive, inclusive ideology exemplified by his life and legacy,” Mr. Sawant stated.
“If every film is to be examined under the microscope of historical accuracy, then how did films like The Kashmir Files, The Kerala Story, and several other propaganda-driven movies – most of which carried disclaimers stating they were fictional and bore little resemblance to historical fact – receive clearance over the past 11 years? One of them was even awarded a National Award. As for the film Khalid ka Shivaji, while we may not fully know the filmmaker’s intent, it is a well-documented historical fact that Muslims were an integral part of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s army. His personal bodyguard was a Muslim,” he added.
Citing historic references about sure dialogues within the movie, he stated, “Regarding the mosque on Raigad Fort, the historic references are credible and well-documented: In New History of the Marathas – Volume 1 by eminent historian and Padma Bhushan awardee G.S. Sardesai (also called Riyasatkaar), it’s clearly said on pages 264–265 that Shivaji Maharaj had a mosque constructed for his Muslim troopers. Similarly, in Raigadchi Jivankatha [The Life Story of Raigad], written by the famend historian Shantaram Vishnu Awlaskar and revealed in 1962 by the Maharashtra State Board of Literature and Culture, it’s recorded on web page seven {that a} mosque was certainly constructed on Raigad Fort beneath Shivaji’s rule. The Board has publicly taken full duty for the authenticity of this analysis. The mosque can be referenced within the writings of Prem Hanvate. Furthermore, in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, written in 1907 by Shivaji’s first biographer Krishnaji Keluskar, it’s clearly affirmed that Shivaji Maharaj upheld secular values and ensured that neither Muslim topics nor their locations of worship had been ever harmed in his kingdom.
Thus, the historic reference to the mosque will not be anecdotal or fringe — it’s supported by well-researched, peer-reviewed scholarship, together with work backed by the Government of Maharashtra.
