Chhaava controversy explained: What was the objection to Vicky Kaushal’s film

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.

What minister Uday Samant said against the song in Chhava:

On Sunday, before director Laxman Utekar met MNS chief Raj Thackeray and announced his decision to cut the dance scene, Maharashtra minister Uday Samant also objected to the sequence and shared a note on X against the release of Chhaava.

He wrote, “It is a matter of joy that a Hindi film based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the protector of religion and protector of freedom, is being made. Such efforts are necessary to make the world understand the history of Chhatrapati. However, many have expressed their opinions that there are some objectionable scenes in this film. Our position is that this film should not be released without first showing it to experts and knowledgeable people. Anything that will harm the honour of the Maharaj will not be tolerated (sic).”

Director Laxman Utekar’s stand on the song in Chhaava:

While Utekar agreed on deleting the dance number, he mentioned that the Lezim dance in the film was envisioned to feature Marathi culture. He said in his statement to the media that the song, which has now been removed, only glorified the culture and helped the audience to understand it better. Laxman said the song was featured as a part of Holi celebration in the film, and asked if there was any harm in showing Chhatrapati participating in the festivities with a traditional dance.

“When Sambhaji Maharaj launched an attack in Burhanpur, he was just 20 years old. We have taken the rights of Shivaji Sawant’s book titled Chhava where he wrote about Sambhaji Maharaj taking part in the Holi festival. He would remove a coconut from the holy fire. We thought of Maharaj as a 20-year-old. It was obvious that he had played the Lezim dance. And why not? Lezim is a part of Maratha culture. It is just our traditional dance. But, if anyone is hurt by those dance moves or Lezim dance, we will remove them. Lezim dance is not bigger than Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj,” he explained.

Chhaava is Bollywood’s first film depicting valour and the celebratory stories about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire, ruling from 1681-689. He was the eldest son of Shivaji Maharaj, and held the reins of the kingdom when everybody thought that the empire was most vulnerable after the death of his father. He was captured and executed in 1688 by the Mughal forces.

Apart from Vicky and Rashmika, Chhaava also features Akshaye Khanna playing the role of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Actors Diana Penty, Ahustosh Rana and Divya Dutta also play important roles in the film. Produced by Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films, Chhaava is hitting the screens on February 14.