When the Marathi film Khalid Ka Shivaji screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025 under the prestigious “Marche du Film” (Film market) section, Maharashtra’s film industry celebrated. State language media ran multiple programmes, interviews with artists, and articles about Marathi cinema reaching new heights.
Three months later, the film’s commercial release has been postponed. Scheduled for release in Maharashtra on Friday, August 8, the screening was halted after right-wing groups objected to certain dialogues, and the BJP-led State government wrote to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) requesting a review of the film’s certification.
The film tells the story of Khalid, a Class 5 student who faces daily taunts for being Muslim. While learning about 16th-century Maratha king Shivaji, Khalid draws parallels to his current situation and finds inspiration in the king’s life. Dialogue writer Rajkumar Tangade explained: “This is a story of peace and harmony in society. How Shivaji Maharaj created an empire of all castes and religions, how he was a king of all — this is our theme. Through 11-year-old Khalid’s eyes, we show the Maharaj’s greatness.”
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However, discussions of communal peace have become contentious. When the film’s trailer launched on YouTube in late July, right-wing groups began protesting. The trailer shows Khalid learning about King Shivaji’s policies from his teacher, including a 35-second voiceover stating that “35 per cent of Shivaji’s bodyguards were Muslims” and that “King Shivaji built a mosque at his capital fort Raigad”.
Anand Dave of Hindu Mahasangh in Pune demanded the film’s ban. “This distorts Shivaji Maharaj’s history. Where is it written that 35 per cent of his bodyguards were Muslims? What proof exists of a mosque at Raigad? This is propaganda. The State government must not allow these perverse stories to spread,” Dave told media in Pune. Hindu Mahasangh also filed objections with the CBFC.
The groups moved beyond demands to protests. At a State government film awards function in Mumbai on August 5, two protesters rose during Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s speech, holding placards and shouting slogans demanding the film’s ban.
Nilesh Bhise filed a complaint with the State cultural department on August 5, claiming the film contained factual errors about King Shivaji and that the trailer hurt public sentiment. Following this complaint, Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar announced the government would request CBFC to review the film’s certification. “We have written to CBFC. Given prevailing public sentiment, re-examination is necessary. We have requested that the film’s exhibition be kept in abeyance until re-examination is completed,” Shelar said. The August 8 release was subsequently postponed pending CBFC review.
Director Raj More expressed surprise at the controversy. The two-time National Award winner had expected the Cannes recognition to boost commercial prospects. “The film attempts to see Shivaji Maharaj’s life and work through a Class 5 student’s eyes. If some find parts objectionable, we can discuss and, if necessary, remove them. But I appeal to people to watch the entire film before forming opinions,” More said. He declined to comment on the political controversy and said he would release the film once CBFC completed its review.
The controversy reflects broader political attempts to appropriate Shivaji Maharaj’s legacy. Secular-progressive scholars maintain the king was secular and not anti-Muslim. Many historians have documented how King Shivaji’s policies were based on equality and justice. However, right-wing politicians consistently object to this portrayal. According to them, Shivaji’s Maratha empire was founded on Hindu religion, and he was a strong Hindu nationalist. In an era when right-wing ideological groups seek to capture public imagination, Shivaji’s depiction as a secular king becomes unacceptable. Khalid Ka Shivaji thus landed in controversy despite Cannes acclaim.
Different versions exist regarding the mosque allegedly built by King Shivaji at his capital fort Raigad in the Sahyadri range. According to G.S. Sardesai, the renowned early 20th-century historian, Shivaji asked his Prime Minister to build a mosque. In the first volume of New History of the Marathas, Sardesai writes that when Shivaji and Prime Minister Moropant Pingale were reviewing coronation preparations at Fort Raigad, Shivaji noticed the Jagdishwar temple construction and asked Pingale about worship facilities for his Muslim army. Moropant replied that Shivaji should choose a location for a mosque.
Another reference is Shantaram Vishnu Avalaskar’s 1862 book Raigadaachi Jivan Katha (The Life Story of Raigad), which mentions a mosque Shivaji built at Fort Raigad’s main entrance gate.
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Many historians, including progressive scholars, challenge both references. Indrajit Sawant, a young secular historian from Kolhapur, said: “There is no contemporary proof of Shivaji Maharaj building a mosque at Raigad. That doesn’t mean Shivaji Maharaj was anti-Muslim — he was not. For him, all subjects were equal. But without contemporary proof of the mosque, it is incorrect to make such claims.”
Regarding Shivaji’s Muslim bodyguards, documentation is absent. Sawant explained: “The trailer claims 35 per cent of bodyguards were Muslims. There is no documentation for this. There was one Muslim bodyguard, Ibrahim, when Shivaji met Afzal Khan at Pratapgad. Beyond this, no documentation exists of Shivaji Maharaj’s bodyguards’ names.” More responded: “The central character is 11 years old. So 35 per cent is language this age would understand. If it is objected to, we can remove it.”
While multiple opinions exist about the controversial issues right-wing groups raised, their possible politics is clear. “Marginalising Muslims from all sections of life is a right-wing Hindu agenda. They project Shivaji as a Hindu nationalist king. Any art showing Shivaji Maharaj’s liberal views will be rejected. Khalid Ka Shivaji challenges Right wingers’ politics of Shivaji Maharaj’s communalisation. This is why they are creating a ruckus,” said award-winning documentary maker Aravind Joshi.
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