 "The Taj Story: Why Paresh Rawal starrer courtroom drama has irked controversy")
Paresh Rawal starrer The Taj Story is set to arrive this Friday at the box office. However, ahead of the release, the courtroom drama caused controversy among the cinegoers and the general audience.
The Taj Story controversy
The movie first grabbed eyeballs with its motion poster, which depicted a Lord Shiva idol emerging from the dome of the Taj Mahal. Closer to release, a politician filed a complaint against the movie with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
— Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) September 29, 2025
Post the release of the motion poster, many accused the makers of making controversial claims that the Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, was constructed on the site of an older Hindu temple. After the poster went viral on social media, the makers issued a disclaimer after deleting it, which says the film “doesn’t deal with any religious issue” and only focuses on “historical facts”.
The Taj Story teaser raises eyebrows
In the teaser of the movie, which was dropped on October 9, the character of Paresh Rawal said that “for some, the Taj Mahal is a tomb… and for some, it is a temple”, followed by a question to the viewers, asking them, “What do you think is its story?”
Trailer makes more bold claims
In The Taj Story trailer, Paresh Rawal’s Vishnu Das character asks a witness if he had visited the “22 rooms below the Taj Mahal”, and called it a “symbol of atrocity and genocide”, contrary to a symbol of love, built by Shah Jahan for his late wife Mumtaz Mahal.
Rajneesh Singh, in his complaint to the I&B Ministry and the Censor Board, has asked for a ban on The Taj Story and claimed that the movie is based on the subject of a petition he filed in the Allahabad High Court back in 2022.
“I filed a PIL for opening the 22 closed rooms in the Taj Mahal. My objective was solely to ensure transparency and verification of historical facts. I have come to know that the movie The Taj Story is based on the subject of my petition,” he said.
As per PTI, he also demanded that the screening of The Taj Story “may not only affect the judicial process, but also create unnecessary tension in social and religious sentiments.”
https://t.co/SHjtFB8dNb
— Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) October 16, 2025
हम खोदेंगे नहीं,खोलेंगे ।#TheTajStoryTrailer Out Now!#TheTajStory on 31st October in cinemas near you!
@casureshjha @tusharamrish @vikasradhe @dasnamit @Amrutaofficial @the_sneha @iamtiwarii @Actorshishir
“The film’s teaser and promotional posters show a depiction of the Taj Mahal dome being lifted to reveal a figure of Lord Shiva emerging therefrom. These elements have generated considerable public debate and concern about communal harmony and the veracity of historical claims. The respondents are trying to mislead the exact history by spreading misinformation about the Taj Mahal. However, the CBFC and other authorities have not taken any action against the said film,” said advocate Shakeel Abbas in his PIL with the Delhi High Court, alleging that it distorts historical facts and could disturb communal harmony.
Directed by Tushar Amrish Goel, the movie also features Zakir Hussain, Amruta Khanvilkar, Sneha Wagh, and Namit Das in prominent roles.
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