Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 2 (ANI): Paresh Rawal starrer ‘The Taj Story’ has opened in theatres, receiving mixed reactions from audiences across the country. The film also had a fair share of controversy, with many demanding a halt to its release.
Following the theatrical opening of ‘The Taj Story’ amid the ongoing row, BJP leader and Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay showed his support for the film, stating that the “truth” must come in front of the people.
“When the movie PK was released, there were no communal riots. There have been a lot of such movies. If a movie is made on the Taj Mahal, why would it cause riots? The truth must come out through movies, stories, TV and social media. Ultimately, the truth must come out. The truth cannot be kept hidden any longer. If anyone tries to stop the movie, then more people will watch,” he told ANI.
The BJP leader’s remarks arrived on the heels of the Delhi High Court’s refusal to halt the release of ‘The Taj Story’.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that it is not the role of the judiciary to act as a “Super Censor Board.”
The remarks were made during the hearing of two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) that sought to restrain the release of the movie, alleging that it misrepresents historical facts and could disturb communal harmony.
The Court also questioned the petitioners for naming actor Paresh Rawal as a respondent, noting that he had merely performed his professional duties.”Why have you made the actor a party? If tomorrow you file a contempt, would you make the lawyer a party? Paresh Rawal is a professional actor, not responsible for the content,” the Bench said.
The petitions, filed by advocates Chetna Gautam and Shakeel Abbas, alleged that the film’s trailer–showing the Taj Mahal’s dome lifting to reveal a figure of Lord Shiva–presents a distorted version of history and risks inciting communal tensions.
Written and directed by Tushar Amrish Goel, ‘The Taj Story’ features a talented ensemble of actors like Paresh Rawal, Zakir Hussain, Amrutha Khanvilkar, Sneha Wagh and Namit Das. (ANI)
