Maharashtra govt. wants CBFC to re-examine certification for Khalid ka Shivaji, halt release of movie

In the meantime, Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar stated the federal government wouldn’t tolerate the perversion of historical past. The controversy escalated after protestors raised slogans in opposition to the movie throughout a current State competition.

“The federal government has taken a severe notice of the complaints obtained concerning the film. There’s a demand to ban the film. The CBFC comes beneath the jurisdiction of the Union authorities. We need to look at how the film obtained Censor Board certification – if the committee had studied the film correctly. We additionally need to know the way the film was chosen for the Cannes Movie Pageant, and if there may be any mischief in it. We’re going to probe all of it,” Mr. Shelar stated.

In the meantime, Dr. Kiran Kulkarni, Secretary of the Cultural Affairs Division, has written to the Ministry of Info and Broadcasting looking for to halt the discharge of the movie.

In line with the publicly obtainable trailer, the movie depicts a schoolboy named Khalid who attracts inspiration from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Congress targets BJP

“It’s completely unbecoming of the State authorities to request the Ministry of Info and Broadcasting to halt the discharge of the movie Khalid ka Shivaji, based mostly merely on its trailer — which, notably, shouldn’t be even significantly objectionable – and with none real understanding of the movie’s precise content material. This transfer clearly seems to be pushed by strain from right-wing organisations and aligned with BJP’s divisive political ideology. As soon as once more, it turns into evident that the BJP is intent on portraying Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj solely as an icon of Hindutvavad – a slender, bigoted, and conservative picture that’s factually incorrect — reasonably than as a logo of Manavatavad [Humanism]. This can be a ridiculous and condemnable try to diminish the towering stature of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and an entire disservice to the progressive, inclusive ideology exemplified by his life and legacy,” Mr. Sawant stated.

“If each movie is to be examined beneath the microscope of historic accuracy, then how did movies like The Kashmir Recordsdata, The Kerala Story, and a number of other different propaganda-driven films – most of which carried disclaimers stating they had been fictional and bore little resemblance to historic reality – obtain clearance over the previous 11 years? One in every of them was even awarded a Nationwide Award. As for the movie Khalid ka Shivaji, whereas we could not totally know the filmmaker’s intent, it’s a well-documented historic proven fact that Muslims had been an integral a part of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s military. His private bodyguard was a Muslim,” he added.

Citing historic references about sure dialogues within the movie, he stated, “Concerning the mosque on Raigad Fort, the historic references are credible and well-documented: In New Historical past of the Marathas – Quantity 1 by eminent historian and Padma Bhushan awardee G.S. Sardesai (also referred to as Riyasatkaar), it’s clearly acknowledged on pages 264–265 that Shivaji Maharaj had a mosque constructed for his Muslim troopers. Equally, in Raigadchi Jivankatha [The Life Story of Raigad], written by the famend historian Shantaram Vishnu Awlaskar and printed in 1962 by the Maharashtra State Board of Literature and Tradition, it’s recorded on web page seven {that a} mosque was certainly constructed on Raigad Fort beneath Shivaji’s rule. The Board has publicly taken full duty for the authenticity of this analysis. The mosque can be referenced within the writings of Prem Hanvate. Moreover, in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, written in 1907 by Shivaji’s first biographer Krishnaji Keluskar, it’s clearly affirmed that Shivaji Maharaj upheld secular values and ensured that neither Muslim topics nor their locations of worship had been ever harmed in his kingdom.

Thus, the historic reference to the mosque shouldn’t be anecdotal or fringe — it’s supported by well-researched, peer-reviewed scholarship, together with work backed by the Authorities of Maharashtra.