Paresh Rawal’s 'The Taj Story' poster sparks controversy, makers issue clarification

New Delhi: Actor Paresh Rawal's upcoming film "The Taj Story" has sparked a huge controversy over its poster depicting him removing the dome of the Taj Mahal and a statue of Lord Shiva emerging from it, prompting the filmmakers to say it does not "deal with any religious matters".

Presented by Swarnim Global Service Pvt Ltd, the movie is directed by Tushar Amrish Goel and produced by CA Suresh Jha.

Rawal and the filmmakers released the poster of the film on Monday. The poster caption reads, "What if everything you’ve been taught is a lie? The truth isn’t just hidden; it’s being judged. Unveil the facts with #TheTajStory on 31st October in cinemas near you," read the caption.

The backlash was swift with many social media users terming it "propaganda" and "fake".

Swarnim Global Service Pvt Ltd countered with a statement shortly after.

"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," it said.

But the debate continued.

Several people said it appeared to be the latest example of propaganda in cinema after recently released titles like The Udaipur Files and The Bengal Files.

"Looking at the poster, it seems like an attempt to portray the Taj Mahal as a religious site. The Taj Mahal is the tomb of two lovers. Nothing more than that."

"In the medieval period, all the European travelers who came to India, whether François Bernier, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, or Peter Mundy, described the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum built by Shah Jahan, not a temple," said one user on X.

Another user criticised Rawal for doing a movie like The Taj Story.

"What a downfall @SirPareshRawal. From 'OMG' to #fake 'The Taj Story'," posted the user, referring to Rawal's critically-acclaimed 2012 movie Oh My God, in which he played an atheist lawyer who sues God.

"The film The Taj Story revives the debunked claim that the Taj Mahal was once a Hindu temple. Historians reject it as pseudo-history, but critics fear it fuels communal divides. The Taj remains a 17th-century Mughal masterpiece - India’s shared heritage," a user posted.

Another post read, "Bollywood now pushing propaganda with #TheTajStory a film twisting history by showing the Taj Mahal as a temple. A country boasting of being the 4th largest economy is drowning in fantasy & communal myths. When propaganda feels ashamed, you know it’s India 2025." A person called Taj Mahal "India’s pride in global tourism".

"But BJP/filmmakers wants to rewrite its story with The Taj Story movie—turning heritage into propaganda. History doesn’t change just because you want votes," the person posted.

Rawal was BJP MP from Ahmedabad East from 2014 to 2019.

Though the plotline film remains unclear, the makers had said in an earlier statement that the film raises the "questions and the secrets that are buried behind the 22 sealed doors of The Taj Mahal".

The movie also "promises to present a chapter from Indian history that no one has ever dared to present before", the makers claimed.

On August 14 this year, Rawal, 70, had shared a brief scene from the movie on his social media handles. He captioned it, "After 79 year of Independence are we still a slave of Intellectual Terrorism?"

The courtroom scene showed Rawal's character arguing in front of the judges and saying, "Azaadi ke 78 saal baad bhi humari soch, nazariya unhi logo ke talve chaat raha hai jinhone lesh matra sankoch nahi kiya humari poori sabhyata ko khatam karne ki, humare astitva ko mitane ki. (Even after 78 years of independence, our thinking and perspective still bow down to those who did not hesitate in the slightest to try and destroy our entire civilisation and erase our existence)."

The character then says it is time to now raise questions.

"If we do not raise them today, our history and our very existence will remain nothing more than questions," he adds.

The cast of The Taj Story also includes actors Zakir Hussain, Amruta Khanvilkar, Sneha Wagh, and Namit Das.