05 August,2025 06:43 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Hindu Mahasangh, based in Maharashtra`s Pune, has lodged its objections with both the CBFC and the film`s producers. PIC/ X
A local Hindu organisation has contacted the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to request a ban on the Marathi movie 'Khalid Ka Shivaji', scheduled to release on August 8. They alleged that the film distorts the history of the Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Hindu Mahasangh, based in Maharashtra's Pune, has lodged its objections with both the CBFC and the film's producers, according to the news agency PTI.
"The film attempts to distort the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The producers have depicted him as secular, which we find unacceptable. If the film is not banned, we will protest at the theatres where it is shown," said Anand Dave, chairman of the Hindu Mahasangh.
"We urge all theatres in Pune not to screen this film. If it is shown in rural areas, we will visit cinema halls and hold lectures on the true history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," he said, reported news agency PTI.
Dave further claimed that the film tries to change the historical narrative.
"Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj belonged to us, to Hindus, and Marathas. Our objection is to the very idea of Khalid Ka Shivaji," he stated.
Directed by Raj More, 'Khalid Ka Shivaji' is a film about a Muslim boy who learns about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj through life experiences.
Earlier in July, the Bombay High Court requested a response from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) regarding a petition filed by the producers of a movie reportedly based on the life of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The petition alleges an undue delay in the issuance of certification, reported news agency PTI.
A bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale also orally remarked that the CBFC is legally obligated to issue certificates within a prescribed timeline and therefore cannot evade this responsibility.
Samrat Cinematics, the production company, has challenged the CBFC's "arbitrary, unreasonable, and unexplained" delay in processing certification applications for its film Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi, including its teaser, trailer, and promotional song, according to PTI.
The movie, inspired by the book The Monk Who Became Chief Minister and purportedly based on Yogi Adityanath's life, was slated for theatrical release on 1st August.
The plea was heard by the High Court bench on Tuesday, where a CBFC official requested more time to engage a lawyer. The court granted the request and issued a notice to the censor board. The matter is now scheduled for further hearing on 17th July.
(With PTI inputs)
