Chhaava, Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal’s recently released biopic on legendary Maratha warrior Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, has taken the entire nation by storm. The film has amassed over a whopping Rs 353 crore nett across the country and is inching towards the Rs 400 crore club.
Amid the unanimous positive buzz around Chhaava, the film has landed in an unexpected controversy. The negative portrayal of Ganoji and Kanhoji Shirke in Chhaava has angered their descendants, who went on to file a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against the film’s director, Laxman Utekar.
Ganoji and Kanhoji Shirke characters were played by Marathi actors Suvrat Joshi and Sarang Sathaye. The film depicted them betraying Sambhaji Maharaj by revealing his location to the Mughals, leading to his capture and brutal execution eventually. The Shirke family has strongly criticized Chhaava makers for distorting history and damaging their family reputation with their false portrayal. They sent a legal notice to Laxman Utekar on February 20.
Director Laxman Utekar reached out to Bhushan Shirke, a descendant of Ganoji and Kanhoji Shirke, to offer an apology. “It was never our intention to hurt the sentiments of the Shirke family. If the film has caused any discomfort, I sincerely apologize. We have only mentioned the names of Ganoji and Kanhoji in Chhaava without referring to their surname or their village,” said Laxman Utekar. However, the Shirke family had warned of statewide protests if Chhaava makers fail to delete the objectionable scenes from the movie.