An upcoming movie from India’s Hindi language film industry — known as Bollywood — claiming that the iconic Taj Mahal is a Hindu temple has caused a heated debate among scholars and netizens.
The Taj Story, directed by Tushar Amrish Goel, is scheduled for theatrical release on Oct. 31. The courtroom drama has Bollywood veteran Paresh Rawal playing a tourist guide who files a case arguing the Taj Mahal is not a Mughal tomb but “a repurposed Shiva temple.”
In one of the film’s most controversial moments, the protagonist demands a “DNA test” of the monument to prove his claim.
The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal ruler Shah Jahan in memory of his queen, Mumtaj Mahal, according to India’s official recorded history.
The Mughals (or Moguls) originally came from Central Asia and ruled most of what is now India and Pakistan in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), responsible for preserving India’s monuments, has stated in court that the Taj Mahal was indeed a Muslim mausoleum built by Shah Jahan.
But the film revives the “Tejo Mahalaya” theory first proposed in 1965 by author P. N. Oak, according to which the Taj Mahal was originally a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
The film’s trailer mentions the Taj Mahal as “a monument of atrocity,” which scholars view as part of ongoing efforts to reinterpret India’s Mughal legacy through the lens of Hindu nationalism.
Ankita Das, a historian based in the national capital New Delhi, said films like The Taj Story “turn complex historical processes into simplistic binaries of victim and aggressor.”
Over the past decade, Indian cinema has witnessed a rise in mythological and historical dramas that echo political rhetoric rather than historical evidence.
“They present myth as fact and reduce centuries of cultural synthesis into sectarian conflict,” Das noted.
In fact, the poster for The Taj Story shows Shiva’s idol rising from the Taj Mahal’s dome.
“The danger is that cinema, with its emotional power, reaches millions, and when it distorts facts, it can reshape collective memory faster than any textbook,” Adil Muneer, an independent filmmaker from Mumbai, where Bollywood is based, told UCA News on Oct. 19.
India’s regulatory body, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), reportedly subjected the latest film to an unusually long review. Officials sought justification for the historical claims before approving its release.
Lead actor Rawal, a former parliamentarian from India’s ruling, pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), insists the film “does not touch upon any religion.”
However, the film’s promotion has become a flashpoint on social media — supporters hail it as “a bold attempt to uncover suppressed truths,” while critics dismiss it as “political propaganda masquerading as art.”
“The film’s disclaimers ring hollow when the visuals themselves carry ideological messages. What we are seeing is cinema being used as a cultural weapon,” said Rajesh Gupta, a student of Mass Communication in New Delhi.
Critics see it as a continuation of history rewriting since the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came to power in 2014. Many roads and cities associated with the Mughals have been renamed, while textbook revisions have downplayed their contributions to art, architecture, and governance.
“What we’re witnessing is the construction of a selective history that privileges certain identities and erases others. It’s not about correcting history. It’s about controlling it,” said Suveed Ahmad, a research scholar.
India’s film industry, including Bollywood and regional language cinema, is recognized as a “ global leader in film production, producing over 2,500 films,” in 2023, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Indian media scholar Dr. Rasheed Ali said the film medium’s emotional reach makes it a powerful tool for propaganda.
“When a film questions established history, it should encourage debate, not fuel division. The TAJ Story risks the latter,” he noted.
The Taj Mahal, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracts millions of international tourists every year. In 2024, the ticket sales alone generated 985 million rupees (US$11.8 million), according to official data.
Critics feel controversies, like the one fueled by the film, undermine India’s image as a diverse and inclusive society.
“When a country’s cultural icons become battlegrounds for ideology, it sends a troubling message abroad,” said Ali.
The article was published in the ucanews
