The Delhi High Court declined to grant urgent listing to a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking action against the certification of the upcoming film “The Taj Story,” scheduled for nationwide release on October 31.
The petition, filed by Advocate Shakeel Abbas, contended that the movie distorts historical facts and promotes a communal narrative under the guise of creative expression. The matter was mentioned before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela for urgent hearing.
When the petitioner sought immediate intervention, the Chief Justice questioned the urgency, observing, “Why today? The film will release on October 31. When was the certification issued?” The petitioner responded that the trailer, released on October 16, allegedly contained historical misrepresentations, which came to his notice on October 22.
Upon being informed that the petition was filed only a day earlier, the Bench stated that it would be “auto-listed” in the normal course. Wednesdays are typically reserved for the Chief Justice’s Bench to hear PILs.
The plea alleges that the film’s release could disturb communal harmony by portraying sensitive historical events in a distorted manner. The respondents named include the Union of India through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Swarnim Global Services Pvt. Ltd., producer C.A. Suresh Jha, director Tushar Amrish Goel, writer Saurabh M. Pandey, Zee Music Company, and actor Paresh Rawal.
It is further alleged that the filmmakers and associated parties have a pattern of producing controversial films with political undertones, citing examples such as “The Kashmir Files” and “The Bengal Files.” The petitioner claims that the CBFC granted clearance to the movie without adequate scrutiny, despite the trailer’s allegedly misleading portrayal of the Taj Mahal and its history.
According to the petition, both the Ministry and the CBFC have failed to act against the dissemination of manipulated content and have remained “mute spectators” despite being aware of the film’s potential to mislead the public.
The PIL seeks directions to the CBFC to reconsider the film’s certification, impose appropriate disclaimers, and explore restrictions such as adult certification or removal of objectionable scenes to preserve communal harmony and historical authenticity. Additionally, it requests the authorities to ensure that the film’s promotional material prominently includes a disclaimer stating that it represents a contested version of history and is not an authoritative account.
The plea also urges preventive measures to avoid any law-and-order disturbance during the film’s release, particularly around the Taj Mahal premises in Agra.
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