Mumbai – The upcoming Marathi film ‘Khalid ka Shivaji’ contains historically inaccurate, baseless and distorted portrayals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, misleading the public and hurting the sentiments of Shivaji’s followers.
Just as the film ‘Udaipur Files: Kanhaiyalal Taylor Murder’ was temporarily banned for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslim community, the film ‘Khalid ka Shivaji’ must also be banned – demanded by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti to both the State and Central Governments.
The film makes objectionable claims that 35% of Shivaji Maharaj’s army were Muslims, 11 of his bodyguards were Muslims and that he built a mosque at Raigad Fort. The Samiti has strongly refuted these claims as misleading, fabricated and lacking any credible historical evidence.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the founder of Hindavi Swarajya (Hindu self-rule). In a letter to his step-brother Vyankoji Raje, he had written “If Turks kept in the army, then how will there be victory?” Attempting to portray him as ‘secular’ is a deliberate misrepresentation of history.
If Muslims had genuine affection for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, then five Muslim emperors would not have plotted to destroy him, nor would Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj have been tortured and killed. Even recently, in Yavat (Tal. Daund, Dist. Pune), a fanatic named ‘Syed’ vandalized a statue of Shivaji Maharaj an act that contradicts the film’s narrative.
As per Article 19(2) of the Indian Constitution and Section 295(A) of the Indian Penal Code, such distorted depictions can hurt religious sentiments and disturb law and order. There are precedents such as during the release of films like Padmaavat and Jodhaa Akbar – where distorted history led to public outrage. Hence, until the historical accuracy of ‘Khalid ka Shivaji’ is officially verified, the film should be banned, the Samiti has demanded.
