The Taj Story revolves around the balance between belief and the documented history of the Taj Mahal
Paresh Rawal has addressed the controversy around the film
The film hit the theatres on October 31, 2025
Paresh Rawal Finally Opens Up On The Taj Story Controversy: There's No Hindu-Muslim Jingoism In The Film
Paresh Rawal has finally spoken about the controversy around his film The Taj Story. Here's what he said.
Summary
Paresh Rawal starrer The Taj Story sparked controversy ahead of its release. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Delhi High Court requesting a review of the film’s certification. But the court refused to hear the petition on an urgent basis. Amid this, the movie hit the theatres on October 31, 2025. Rawal has finally broken his silence on The Taj Story movie controversy
Paresh Rawal on The Taj Story row
On the controversy, Rawal told NDTV, "Tushar (the director) came with amazing research. There is nothing hanky-panky in it."
"His sources were clearly mentioned, and I even checked with friends who confirmed the facts. From the very beginning, we made sure there would be no Hindu-Muslim jingoism in this film," he added.
Giving an example from the film, the veteran actor said, "There's even a dialogue in the film where a character says, 'Brother, it's you journalists who make everything about Hindu and Muslim. There's no Hindu-Muslim conflict here. This is about shared history.'"
He mentioned another scene that gives a message of peace and reflection. "When someone says, 'What should we do with this?' another replies, 'Break it.' Then a character says, 'No, brother, we're not the ones who destroy. Not even a scratch should come to it. Every problem cannot be solved by breaking or destroying things. Sometimes, acceptance itself is a big thing,'" the actor said.
Paresh Rawal on the PIL
The Hera Pheri actor clarified that the PIL wasn't filed to stop the film. "They just wanted the judiciary to watch it once. But the film already has a CBFC certificate. Even the judiciary understands all this; they're not foolish. We never intended to create any Hindu-Muslim controversy. Would anyone invest so much money just to create communal trouble? You can cause a riot for far less!", he added.
The Taj Story controversy
The controversy stemmed from the release of the film's poster, which showed a Shiva idol emerging from inside the dome of the Taj Mahal, featuring Rawal. Later, the makers issued a statement which read: "The makers of the film The Taj Story clarify that the movie does not deal with any religious matters, nor does it claim that a Shiv temple resides within the Taj Mahal. It focuses solely on historical facts. We would kindly request you to watch the film and form your own opinion. Thank You, Swarnim Global Services Pvt. Ltd."
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Why PIL was filed against The Taj Story
According to a report in ANI, in the PIL filed by Shakeel Abbas through advocate Shakil Sheikh, it sought a review of the film’s certification. It also urged that the authorities ensure appropriate display of disclaimers in all promotional material and film credits. The plea suggested that the disclaimer should clearly mention that the movie “deals with a contested narrative and does not claim to be a definitive historical account.”
It is alleged that the film is based on “fabricated facts” and promotes a “particular propaganda”.
The Taj Story is written and directed by Tushar Amrish Goel and produced by Swarnim Global Services Pvt Ltd and CA Suresh Jha. Zakir Hussain, Amruta Khanvilkar, Sneha Wagh, and Namit Das are also part of the cast.
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