Panipat is in the news for all the wrong reasons, again. The film has been lampooned for being biased, given its deliberate attempt to vilify Muslims. Historians also argue that it doesn’t even represent the character of Jat ruler Maharaja Surajmal properly.
And now, apparently it is under hot water over an 11-minute scene that was inaccurate. Protests have forced the movie-makers of Panipat to remove the scene altogether.
Panipat was once considered as ‘one of the most anticipated films of 2019‘ earlier in the year. But now public opinion of the film has turned against it as Panipat approached its release date.
The controversial scene in question though led to massive protests preventing the film screening in the state of Rajasthan.
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The scene that angered people
What has got the people so irked? Basically, an exchange between Maharaja Surajmal and Sadashiv Rao has not been received kindly.
In this controversial scene, Surajmal offers Sadashiv his help against Abdali in return for the Agra fort. Sadashiv rejects the deal, and Surajmal turns him away.
No amount of press and promotion could convince the people of Rajasthan to step down on their decision until the scene was removed. The film saw heavy promotions and both Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon traveled to different cities to promote the film.
From press conferences to making appearances, the actors went all out to promote the film. The film marks Arjun Kapoor’s first film after he was seen on the big screen in India’s Most Wanted.
Panipat cast Arjun Kapoor as the lead, Kriti Sanon as his leading lady and Sanjay Dutt as the Afghan ruler Abdali.
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Removed altogether
This scene has now been removed. However, the movie still induldges in misrepresentation of Maharaja Surajmal, the legendary Jat ruler of Bharatpur. The people of Rajasthan are irked by why Maharaja Surajmal looks like a Maratha Peshwa.
This may seem trivial, but apparently Indian audiences wanted a Jat ruler glorified the right way. Somehow the Jat caste is underrepresented unlike those who rank higher on the caste hierarchy, the Maratha and Brahmins.
Panipat was released all over India on December 6, 2019. Despite going head to head with the movie Pati, Patni Aur Woh, it performed well at the box office.
