Renowned Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal’s upcoming movie ‘The Taj Story’ has sparked controversy ahead of its release, with a fresh debate erupting on social media after the actor shared the film’s poster online. The film, directed by Tushar Amrish Geol, features Zakir Hussain, Amruta Khanvilkar and Senha Wagh with Paresh Rawal.
The poster shows Rawal opening the dome of the Taj Mahal, revealing a statue of Lord Shiva inside.
According to Indian media, in some schools of thought, it is said that the Taj Mahal was constructed at the place where Shiva’s temple ‘Tejo Mahalaya’ was located.
The controversy followed by a book published by historian PN Oak, writing that an older monument was centuries earlier than the one attributed to the Hindu ruler Jai Sing, ahead of Mughal rule in the Subcontinent.
However, the book faced the same backlash.
In 2022, Rajneesh Singh filed a petition appealing to a fact-finding panel to investigate the Taj Mahal’s history and examine 22 sealed rooms for Hindu idols.
In 2022, BJP MP Diya Kumari, from the Jaipur royal family, also claimed that the land on which the Taj Mahal stands belonged to her ancestors. On social media, many believe that Paresh Rawal’s upcoming film ‘The Taj Story’ promotes the concept that it was once a temple of Shiva.