Chhaava director Laxman Utekar on Monday said he would delete a dance sequence from the film, following protests and objections from several Maharashtra ministers. He mentioned in a detailed official statement that he imagined the Maratha warrior and king Smabhaji Maharaj as a 20-year-old boy in his film, and therefore, included a sequence showing him celebrating with the ‘Lezim dance’ after winning a battle. However, something about the same dance sequence didn’t go down well with many politicians.
On Sunday, Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis talked to the media in Mumbai and mentioned that the film shouldn’t hamper with the legacy of the reverred Maratha king, Sambhaji Maharaj. He talked about the ‘distorted history’ and said a film made on Chhatrapati should be both ‘creative and sensitive’.
“Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s history should be shown correctly. It is not right to distort history. Everyone has a lot of love and respect for Sambhaji Maharaj. This respect and honour should not be hurt. There should be creativity (in filmmaking) but we believe that there should be sensitivity along with it,” he said.
His statement came after several ministers, including former Rajya Sabha MP Sambhjiraje Chhatrapati, who’s also a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, suggested that the makers consult historians to avoid ‘inaccuracies’ in the film. His argument followed the release of the trailer, which featured a glimpse of Vicky and Rashmika Mandanna (who plays the role of Maharani Yesubai) performing the Lezmi dance.
The glimpse was from a song which was shot to capture the celebratory mood in the kingdom of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj following his successful attack on Burhanpur, a wealthy Mughal city in Madhya Pradesh, in 1681.
What the descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj said about the song:
In his statement to the media, the former MP revealed that he had expressed his wish to watch the entire film when the makers went to show him the trailer. Sambhajiraje said, “I told them I would like to watch the entire movie before its release. I also offered to connect them with historians to address inaccuracies to ensure this significant story is presented authentically to audiences worldwide.”
He was one of the first people who talked about the media, objecting to the dance sequence in Chhaava. He mentioned the Lezim dance in his statement and said, “While the Lezim is an important part of our cultural heritage, it is necessary to discuss whether taking such cinematic liberties aligns with the dignity and historical portrayal of Sambhaji Maharaj,” adding that the makers should consult historians to get their green signal before the release of the film.
A few hours before Sambhajiraje’s interview, a few Maratha outfits protested in Pune against the same dance sequence in the film. The protestors demanded what the former MP said: show the film to the historians or face consequences.
