Chhaava director Laxman Utekar deletes dance scenes from Vicky Kaushal-starrer amid controversy: ‘Raj Thackeray gave guidance’

Chhaava successful Marathi means ‘lion’s cub’. The movie is based connected Chhaava, a publication written by precocious novelist Shivaji Sawant. In a statement, the manager said, “I person met Raj Thackeray. He is an avid scholar and studious person. So I person taken immoderate suggestions and guidance from him. And I tin say, his words are precise adjuvant for me. And aft gathering him, I person decided to delete those scenes wherever we person shown Sambhaji Maharaj was playing Lezim dance.”

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“Lezim creation is not a large deal. Sambhaji Maharaj is precise overmuch bigger than that Lezim dance. So we are going to region those scenes from film,” Laxman said.

He further explained and said, “When Sambhaji Maharaj launched an onslaught successful Barhanpur, helium was conscionable 20 years old. We person taken the rights of Shivaji Sawant’s publication titled Chhava wherever helium wrote astir Sambhaji Maharaj taking portion successful the Holi festival. He would region a coconut from the beatified fire. We thought of Maharaj arsenic a 20-year-old. It was evident that helium had played the Lezim dance. And wherefore not? Lezim is simply a portion of Maratha culture. It is conscionable our accepted dance. But, if anyone is wounded by those creation moves oregon Lezim dance, we volition region them. Lezim creation is not bigger than Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.”

The manager besides took the concerns of galore Maharashtra ministers into account, demanding that experts should ticker the movie anterior to its release. Hence, helium said, “We person organised a peculiar premiere amusement connected 29th of January. Some historians and radical who survey past volition beryllium there. We volition instrumentality their guidance.”

Earlier, Maharashtra curate Uday Samant’s had written connected X (formerly Twitter), “It is simply a substance of joyousness that a Hindi movie based connected the beingness of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the protector of religion and protector of freedom, is being made. Such efforts are indispensable to marque the satellite recognize the past of Chhatrapati. However, galore person expressed their opinions that determination are immoderate objectionable scenes successful this film. Our presumption is that this movie should not beryllium released without archetypal showing it to experts and knowledgeable people. Anything that volition harm the honour of the Maharaj volition not beryllium tolerated.”

Meanwhile, Laxman Utekar confirmed successful his connection that the movie would deed the theatres arsenic scheduled connected February 14. Chhaava besides stars Akshaye Khanna, Ashutosh Rana, Diana Penty and Divya Dutta, among others.