Surrounded by the hit Thamma and also the projected small-town success of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, and co-released with Bahubali—The Epic, one would have expected The Taj Story, a saga sans stars, to go unnoticed and sink without trace. However, this powerful little film has happily proved its staying power and growth by collecting more than its opening-day rake-in on the fifth day.
Opening at a modest Rs. 1 crore national net (the collections minus Entertainment Tax), the film almost tripled its income on first Sunday with Rs. 2.75 crore and has maintained at Rs. 1.35 crore on Tuesday, with the Wednesday figures not yet available. As per Box Office India, ‘The Taj Story’ is also on track to eclipse major biggies that have acutely disappointed in 2025.
But this writeup is not about box-office figures. It tells a different story. Movies like The Tashkent Files(another film that went on to become a slow but sure hit), URI—The Surgical Strike, The Kashmir Files, The Kerala Story (all three of which did great business, and crossed Rs. 200 crore in India), Article 370 (another hit and now award-winner) and many others, notably Bastar: The Naxal Story, The Vaccine War, Hamare Baarah, Razakar: The Silent Genocide of Hyderabad and The Bengal Files (which did not do well), have been willfully, even blindly, labeled as “propaganda” films even as they narrated total truths.
Their cinematic performances were, however, dependent on the kind of narration, the length of the movie for the topic, the face value, promotions and more apart from the all-important public mood at the time of release. Some of these films were supremely mediocre exercises in boredom, like Swatantrya Veer Savarkar and The Sabarmati Report (both claimed ‘success’) and Ram Setu. I missed 72 Hoorain and Ajmer 92, which were similarly condemned for potentially stoking communal discord (not one of these many films did so but for mild, vested protests).
In these movies, the dramatization and fictionalization for dramatic purposes was obviously there, with “disclaimers” that were often irritatingly tepid or timid, but these movies remain a mirror to society and fundamentalism of various kinds. But in whichever tepid or bold manner these movies unearthed historical wrongs or hidden truths, most of them were poorly promoted and exhibited, cold-shouldered by the supposedly-secular “media” and otherwise mauled or attacked in reviews whose content clearly were planned even before the movies were watched!
These points are necessary to help understand this latest film that attempts to unravel the truth about one of the seven wonders of this world: the Taj Mahal in Agra. The film is based on evidence aplenty that the edifice was built centuries before the Mughals invaded India. Primarily inspired by and based on P.N. Oak’s immaculately-researched book, The Taj Mahal is a Hindu Palace (published by Delhi’s top publishers, Jaico Books), the film spotlights aspects like Carbon Dating and the 1959 discovery of Hindu divine idols in the underground floors of the Taj. It questions why there are 22 rooms (in a tomb!!) below the graves, why those rooms have now been sealed up with bricks, and also why there are graves at two levels, “like a ‘duplex’!” as the lead character says!
In another example, a clear mistruth by an “authority” is demonstrated and in yet another damning scene, a question is asked about why only books and documents supporting Shahjahan are accepted and not evidence against this, especially from impartial “foreign” sources, one of whom is from America! There is also a very pertinent query about why and how history taught to children is manipulated and knowledge meted out in a discriminatory way.
Striking a relevant note, the protagonist points out that truth is thus labeled as propaganda, and vice-versa!
Once again, to soothe ruffled communal feathers, the film begins with a disclaimer that it is fictional. But as in most such cases, it ends with slides depicting true facts—in this case about how multiple Public Interest Litigations (PILs) contesting the origins of the Taj have been struck down by courts and historical “authorities” even as late as 1922.
As the protagonist, (Paresh Rawal) explains at the end, “This is not a communal issue, but about the distortion of Indian history, on which Muslims are an integral part!” The opposite side makes a case for keeping everything as it has always been, as “tourism would be affected and huge revenue will be lost”, especially of tourists who come to Agra or India, inspired and motivated by love! “But will the wondrous building be any different if the truth is known?” asks the character of Rawal.
Yes, an ingenious base of fiction has been given. Vishnu Das (Paresh Rawal), is a guide at the Taj Mahal. His father, also a guide, has committed suicide some years back for an unknown reason (later disclosed) and his son (Namit Das) is also following in his footsteps.
A journalist (Amruta Khanvilkar) making an in-depth documentary on the Taj and the possibility that it has much older origins asks Vishnu if he can contribute to her film, as she has certain seemingly-concrete evidence. A disturbed Vishnu does something that makes him (and his son) lose their jobs. But that enhances his determination to make a deep study on the Taj through books and with help from a historian.
Vishnu then files a Public Interest Litigation against the Taj (!), arousing ire amidst Muslims. The case is admitted because of the weight of the primary arguments and he decides to fight his own case. What happens next is what the film is about.
Paresh Rawal is excellent as Vishnu, especially while making his dour or satirical comments. Zakir Hussain, as the lawyer of the opposite side, is cool and dignified. Namit Das is effective as Vishnu’s son, and so is Sneha Wagh as his daughter-in-law.
Shrikant Sharma and Sidharth Bhardwaj, who play Vishnu’s staunch friends, Brijendra Kala as an advocate who desists from taking up the case due to fear, Abhijit Lahiri as the judge, Akhilendra Mishra as a politician, Anil George as a hardliner and Amruta Khanvilkar as the documentary maker are all effective.
Director Tushar Amrish Goel has co-written the film with Saurabh M. Pandey. They are clearly on a mission and to make a point, and they fill the film with entertaining sequences and ripostes and one-liners that had most of the audience laughing in the movie hall where I watched it. An incisive scene is where Vishnu chastises his grandson for taking fake credit for something his sister has made! The BGM is effective, as is the song Dham dhadak, both done by Rohit Sharma.
Rating: ****
Swarnim Global Services Pvt. Ltd.’s The Taj Story Produced by: CA Suresh Jha Directed by: Tushar Amrish Goel Written by: Tushar Amrish Goel & Saurabh M. Pandey Music: Rohit Sharma & Rahul Dev Nath Starring: Paresh Rawal, Zakir Hussain, Namit Das, Amruta Khanvilkar, Sneha Wagh, Latika Raj, Shishir Sharma, Akhilendra Mishra, Brijendra Kala, Anil George, Shrikant Verma, Sidharth Bhardwaj, Garima Agarwal, Abhijit Lahiri, Pankaj Berry & others
