Reception
The Taj Story generally received negative reviews from the critics.
Komal Nahta of Film Information described The Taj Story as “a thought-provoking film and entertaining.” [22] Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, calling it “overstretch,” and wrote, “The story had all it needed to make for a good film, but weak script and bad execution massacred it all.” [23] Ritika Srivastav of India Today awarded it 2.5 stars, writing, “The accents are genuinely impressive, and there are flashes of clever use of AI-generated visuals. But none of it compensates for the film’s glaring weaknesses: the lazy writing, the filler female characters, and the total lack of focus.” [24]
Shubhangi Shah, writing for The Week wrote, "The Taj Story falls flat and not just as a propaganda film, because I can dare even the firm rightwing supporters to sit through this three-hour-long film, which can be a test for both your patience as well as intellect." [25] Saibal Chatterjee, writing for NDTV, rated the movie at 2/5 and concluded, "The Taj Story is a throw of dice that is all over the place. Even Paresh Rawal cannot save it." [26]
Alaka Sahani of The Indian Express rated it 1.5/5 stars and said that "The Taj Story merely stirs the pot, blending fact and fiction to serve an agenda far removed from historical inquiry." [27] Devesh Sharma of Filmfare gave 2 stars out of 5 and said that "The Taj Story endorses the belief that the Taj Mahal is a Hindu structure. The film pretends neutrality while continuously feeding an ideological hunger." [28] Shilajit Mitra of The Hollywood Reporter India stated that it is "A bird-brained film that treats history like claydough." [29]
Shreyanka Mazumdar of News 18 rated it 2/5 stars and said that "The Taj Story is certainly designed to spark curiosity — and perhaps even challenge long-held beliefs. But the line between raising questions and pushing an agenda becomes blurry." [30]
Response and controversy
Historical accuracy debate
Following its announcement, The Taj Story attracted widespread criticism and trolling on social media, with many accusing the filmmakers and trade analyst Komal Nahta of promoting a contentious and divisive subject. [31] The film's narrative, which appears to draw inspiration from claims popularized by writer P. N. Oak, asserts that the Taj Mahal was originally a Hindu temple named Tejo Mahalaya. [32] These claims have been widely debunked by mainstream historians and archaeologists as pseudo-history lacking credible evidence. [33] India's Supreme Court dismissed Oak's petition to declare the Taj Mahal a Hindu temple, describing his views as a “bee in his bonnet”. [34]
Shanzila Fatymah, writing for Suno News, added "the Taj Mahal controversy reflects a broader shift in India’s cultural politics. Recasting Islamic architecture as “foreign” and Hindu symbols as “authentically Indian” creates a simplified narrative of native versus invader. This framing marginalises India’s 200 million Muslims, depicting them as outsiders in a country they have helped shape for centuries." [35]
Propaganda allegations
The film has been widely labeled as a propaganda piece promoting Hindutva narratives, with critics arguing it fuels communal tensions by challenging the established history of the Taj Mahal as a Mughal-era mausoleum built by Shah Jahan. [36] [37] Social media reactions highlighted a scene in the trailer featuring a placard with the term “aunty-national,” which further intensified accusations of the film stoking divisive sentiments. [38] Critics, including those on platforms like X, compared the film to other controversial titles like The Kashmir Files, accusing it of pushing a right-wing agenda under the guise of historical revisionism. [16] [8]
Poster backlash and disclaimers
The controversy escalated in September 2025 when Paresh Rawal shared a motion poster depicting a Shiva idol emerging from the Taj Mahal’s dome, prompting accusations of promoting conspiracy theories and religious division. [39] [40] Following significant backlash, Rawal deleted the post and shared a disclaimer from Swarnim Global Services Pvt. Ltd., stating: “The movie does not deal with any religious matters, nor does it claim that a Shiv temple resides within the Taj Mahal. It focuses solely on historical facts.” [39] However, skeptics, including historians and social media users, argued that the film’s narrative aligns with Hindutva-driven myths, citing historical petitions like one filed in 2022 in Agra to investigate alleged Hindu temple remnants within the Taj Mahal. [41]
CBFC scrutiny
Due to its sensitive subject matter, the film faced rigorous review by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). [42] The clearance process spanned several months, with the CBFC requiring director Tushar Amrish Goel and producer CA Suresh Jha to submit detailed historical documents to substantiate the film’s claims about the Taj Mahal’s origins. [43] [44] This level of scrutiny was noted as unusual, reflecting concerns about potential communal sensitivities. [45]
Institutional and legal pushback
The controversy surrounding The Taj Story mirrors broader debates in India about historical revisionism and communal narratives. Petitions, such as one filed in Agra in 2022, have sought to open locked rooms in the Taj Mahal to search for alleged Hindu idols or temple remnants, claims consistently refuted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which maintains the Taj Mahal is a Mughal-era mausoleum. [46] [33] The ASI has also highlighted that Mughal emperor Shah Jahan paid Raja Jai Singh, not a Hindu Maharaja, for the land, debunking claims of temple appropriation. [41]
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