The Taj Story, starring Paresh Rawal in the lead role, has been at the center of controversy since its inception, courtesy of its plot that challenges the history of the monument as we know it, claiming it was once a Hindu temple.
Directed by Tushar Amrish Goel, the film is based on the disputed theory promoted by historian Purushottam Nagesh Oak in his 1989 book Taj Mahal: The True Story, Oak where he has claimed that the UNESCO World Heritage site in Agra was originally a Hindu temple called Tejo Mahalaya built in 4th century, before Shah Jahan turned it into a monument in its current form.
Neither the Supreme Court nor ASI (Archaeological Survey of India), approved the ‘true story’. Meanwhile, a PIL was filed in the Delhi High Court, following which the filmmakers were directed to give clear disclaimers that the movie was based on a controversial narrative and isn’t historical in nature.
How the film is performing at the box office
Paresh Rawal who has a knack for picking performance-oriented roles has delivered powerful performances in the past playing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Govind Bhardwaj in Uri: The Surgical Strike, among others. Another courtroom drama that we remember him for is OMG Oh my God where Rawal’s character sues God for destroying his antique shop in an earthquake. The premise attracted lawsuits as people accused the makers to hurt religious sentiments.
The Taj Story opened to dull response at the Box Office, garnering Rs 1 crore at the box office. However, Day 2, a Saturday saw a jump of 90% in the film’s earnings as the film’s collections stood at Rs 1.9 crore. The film added more numbers after collecting Rs 2.21 crore at the box office, taking the domestic collections to around Rs 5.11 crore, according to trade website Sacnilk.
The film saw maximum occupancy rates in Chennai (79%) and Bengaluru (68.50%), while Ahmedabad (58.75%), and Hyderabad (50.25%) also saw decent crowd.
Will the film pick up or dip? Monday will tell
However, the real test would be on Monday, and decide if these numbers are purely driven by weekend crowd or the word of mouth about the movie is really good.
Apart from Paresh Rawal, The Taj Story also stars Zakir Hussain, and Amruta Khanvilkar in key roles.
