‘Khalid Ka Shivaji’ to be removed from Cannes festival listings; ‘won’t allow tampering with history,’ says Ashish Shelar
The decision comes days after right-wing organisations, including the VHP and Bajrang Dal, raised objections against the film which they claim wrongly portrays the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
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The decision comes days after right-wing organisations, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and others raised objections against the film. (Express Photo)A probe is underway to determine how the film Khalid Ka Shivaji, which allegedly distorts history and hurts public sentiment, was submitted to the Cannes Film Festival, Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar said on Thursday, adding that the movie will be removed from the Cannes listings through legal and administrative action.
Right-wing groups have alleged that the film wrongly portrays the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The state government has requested the Centre to revoke the film’s censor certificate and halt its further screenings. Acting on this, central agencies have already issued urgent notices to the film’s producers and director.
Shelar assured that the state government stands firmly with Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji’s devotees and historians and will not allow any distortion or misrepresentation of history or attack on public sentiments. “Tampering with history will not be tolerated,” he said.
The decision comes days after right-wing organisations, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and others raised objections against the film. On Tuesday, a protest against the film was held during the Maharashtra State Marathi Film Awards ceremony.
Khalid Ka Shivaji, directed by Raj Pritam More, is about a Muslim boy who learns about Shivaji through life experiences. More won the National Film Award in 2019 for his Marathi film Khissa under the ‘Best Debut Non-Feature Film of a Director’ category.
At the heart of the dispute surrounding the film is the long-standing debate in Maharashtra on whether Shivaji was primarily a Hindu warrior-king or a secular, inclusive ruler who stood against oppression regardless of religion.
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