The controversy surrounding the upcoming film The Taj Story deepened as a plea seeking an urgent hearing on its release was declined by the Delhi High Court. The petition alleged that the movie contains “deeply divisive scenes that could provoke communal tensions and disturb peace in society.”
When the plea was mentioned before Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, the bench refused to take it up immediately, asking, “Why today? When was the certification issued? It will be auto listed. Sorry,” thereby indicating no urgency in the matter.
In a separate development, BJP leader Rajneesh Singh from Ayodhya filed a complaint with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), demanding a ban on the film. Singh claimed the film draws from a petition he filed before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, which sought to open 22 locked rooms of the Taj Mahal to “verify historical facts.”
Although his petition was dismissed in May 2022, Singh alleged that The Taj Story uses “his judicial matter” without his permission. “I have come to know that the movie The Taj Story is based on the subject of my petition. This is a violation of my intellectual and legal rights. The commercial use of a judicial matter is also inappropriate,” he told reporters.
Actor Paresh Rawal, however, defended the film, clarifying that it seeks to explore architectural and historical aspects of the Taj Mahal rather than provoke controversy. “The film is about the architecture, the Taj’s transformation, and the myths surrounding it—like the story of 22,000 workers whose hands were supposedly cut off. The truth has been revealed,” Rawal told ANI.
Addressing the backlash, he added, “The film intends to clear misconceptions and present historical facts from primary sources. Such controversies only harm the social fabric and the nation’s collective psyche.”
Actor Zakir Hussain, who portrays a lawyer in the film, echoed Rawal’s views, noting that certain subjects naturally stir debate but should still be discussed openly through art.