BJP Leader Seeks Ban on Paresh Rawal's Film 'The Taj Story', Claims It Uses His Petition

Rajneesh Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson from Ayodhya, lodged a formal complaint with India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on October 27, 2025, demanding an immediate ban on the upcoming film The Taj Story starring Paresh Rawal.

Singh alleges the Hindi courtroom drama, written and directed by Tushar Amrish Goel and produced by CA Suresh Jha, directly draws from a public interest litigation (PIL) he filed in the Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench in October 2022, seeking to unlock 22 sealed rooms in the Taj Mahal to verify claims of its origins as a Hindu temple rather than a Mughal mausoleum built by Emperor Shah Jahan. He contends this constitutes a violation of his intellectual property rights and inappropriate commercialisation of a judicial matter without consent, urging a script review and halt to promotions pending investigation.

Singh's 2022 PIL, which called for an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) panel to probe the 17th-century monument's history, was swiftly dismissed by the high court in May 2022 for lacking merit and infringing no legal rights, with justices criticising it as casually filed. He warns the film's release—slated for October 31, 2025—could inflame religious tensions, mislead the public through "misleading" references in posters and trailers (including a provocative dome-lifting Shiva idol visual later retracted), and undermine judicial processes.

Featuring Zakir Hussain, Amruta Khanvilkar, Namit Das, and Sneha Wagh, The Taj Story portrays Rawal as a Taj guide-turned-litigant demanding historical transparency, echoing fringe theories popularised by P.N. Oak's Taj Mahal: The True Story despite ASI affirmations of its Mughal authenticity.

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Compounding the pressure, a separate PIL by advocate Shakeel Abbas was filed in the Delhi High Court on October 28, 2025, arraying Rawal, producers, and CBFC as respondents, accusing the film of "fabricated facts", promoting communal disharmony via debunked narratives, and eroding India's composite culture under Article 51A(f). It seeks certification revocation, mandatory disclaimers labelling it "contested fiction", and preventive measures against unrest near Agra. Makers previously submitted historical documents to CBFC for clearance amid poster backlash, issuing disclaimers that the film addresses "historical facts" sans religious claims.

As legal scrutiny intensifies ahead of release, the controversy revives long-standing Taj debates—fuelled by similar dismissed pleas and political rhetoric—testing Bollywood's boundaries on sensitive heritage narratives amid polarised public discourse on X and beyond.

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