Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna’s controversial Lezim dance REMOVED from ‘Chhaava’ amid outcry over ‘historical accuracy:
Chhava controversy: Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna’s controversial Lezim dance in the Chhaava movie was REMOVED , after the outcry over historical accuracy.
Director Laxman Utekar on Monday said the ‘lezim’ dance scene from his upcoming movie ‘Chhaava’, based on the life of Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, will be removed after it faced objections from politicians and history enthusiasts.
The filmmaker announced the decision after discussing the issue with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who met him at his residence that day.
The film’s trailer, which was released this week, has a sequence in which Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna, who play Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Maharani Yesubai, are shown dancing with the ‘lezim’. Lezim is a traditional musical instrument associated with the cultural heritage of Maharashtra.
While talking to reporters, Utekar said, ‘The purpose of meeting Raj Thackeray was to take his advice. His knowledge of history, especially about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is quite deep. He has given some valuable suggestions which we will implement. As far as the question of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s ‘lezim’ scene is concerned, we will remove it. It was not our intention to hurt anyone’s sentiments.’
This dance scene became the reason for outrage on social media, and politicians accused the film of not giving respect to the historical figure.
Utekar said, ‘We are removing this scene because it is not a significant part of the film. If people feel that the portrayal is inaccurate, we are ready to change it. Our goal has always been to bring the greatness of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj to the world.
1. Introduction
Chhava is an upcoming Hindi historical film based on the life of Maratha King Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj who was the elder son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, played by Vicky Kaushal.
This is a very exciting and highly anticipated film! Chhava, which is based on the Marathi novel Chhava by Shivaji Sawant, especially with such a talented crew working with it. Directed by Laxman Utekar and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films, this film has all the right ingredients for success With talented actors like Rashmika Mandanna and Akshaye Khanna, the audience can expect amazing performances.
A. R. Rahman’s composition and Irshad Kamil’s lyrics add another level of excitement, as both are known for their deeply impactful music. Which is going to be released on 14th February 2025.
2.The legacy of Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj :
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj who was the elder son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is remembered for his bravery, sacrifice and capture on his own decisions. He was the second king of the Maratha Empire, he was filled with fierce resentment against the Mughal Empire especially Emperor Aurangzeb. Despite being captured and given a harsh lesson by the Mughals, he never left his principles.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was a true Dharamveer, he never bowed down in front of Aurangzeb, even though Aurangzeb tortured Sambhaji Maharaj terribly for more than 40 days. Hindus should learn from Sambhaji Maharaj how to sacrifice for Dharma. He was a great scholar of Sanskrit. He single-handedly fought against the huge army of Aurangzeb for 9 years and protected the Hindu Swarajya from him. He and the subsequent Maratha kings forced Aurangzeb to stay in Maharashtra for 27 years, the final result of which was that a Hindu kingdom could be established in North India.
3. Development and Pre-production of Chhava:
Laxman Utekar, the director of Chhava, spoke about his inspiration for the film in an interview with India Today, stating:
“Everyone knows about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, but no one knows about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. He had immense courage and was a great warrior, yet his story is often overlooked. During the COVID-19 pandemic, while reading about Sambhaji Maharaj, I realized how important his life story is, and why we don’t talk about it. That’s when I started writing, and the idea for Chhava came to me.”
In 2021, Utekar shared with producer Dinesh Vijan his desire to work with Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna on a project. By December 2022, it was revealed that Utekar was developing a historical biopic based on the Marathi novel Chhava by Shivaji Sawant. After completing the script in January 2023, pre-production officially began in April 2023, with principal photography kicking off in October 2023.
Utekar and his team dedicated a year to researching the 17th-century Maratha period, traveling to historical towns like Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Ratnagiri, Pune, Nashik, and Paithan. Costume designer Sheetal Sharma sourced authentic Paithani sarees and restored 500-year-old borders for Rashmika Mandanna’s character, Yesubai. The sourcing process included visits to Paithan and Narayanpeth for authentic sarees, and additional accessories were gathered from Kolhapur, Sawantwadi, and Ratnagiri.
For authenticity, Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray recreated jewellery and the sword Bhavani, using references from museums in London. Vicky Kaushal’s portrayal of Sambhaji Maharaj was carefully crafted, based on historical busts and statues to ensure accuracy. Music for the film was composed by the legendary A. R. Rahman.
4. Cast of Chhava:
- Vicky Kaushal as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj
- Rashmika Mandanna as Maharani Yesubai
- Akshaye Khanna as Mughal Shahenshah Aurangzeb
- Ashutosh Rana as Sarsenapati Hambirao Mohite
- Divya Dutta as Soyarabai
- Vineet Kumar Singh as Kavi Kalash
- Diana Penty as Zinat-un-Nissa Begum, Aurangzeb’s daughter
- Santosh Juvekar as Rayaji Bandal
- Neil Bhoopalam as Muhammad Akbar
- Pradeep Rawat as Yesaji Rao Kank
5. Release
Initially set to release on 6 December 2024, the film was later postponed to 14 February 2025
Film Title: Chhava
Directed by: Laxman Utekar
Screenplay: Laxman Utekar, Rishi Virmani, Kaustubh Savarkar, Unman Bankar, Omkar Mahajan
Dialogues: Rishi Virmani, Irshad Kamil
Based on: Chhava by Shivaji Sawant
Produced by: Dinesh Vijan
Starring:
Vicky Kaushal
Rashmika Mandanna
Akshaye Khanna
Cinematography: Saurabh Goswami
Edited by: Manish Pradhan
Music: A. R. Rahman
Production Company: Maddock Films
Distributed by: Pen Marudhar (India)
Yash Raj Films (International)
Release Date: 14 February 2025
Country: India
Language: Hindi
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