Bollywood’s 'The Taj Story' Rekindles Debate Over Monument’s History — Art, Politics and Public Memory

Film Sparks Fresh Debate Over The Taj Mahal’s Origins

Veteran tour guide Vishu Das, long accustomed to recounting the Taj Mahal’s romantic origin, tells a rooftop audience his faith in that story has collapsed.

“The story we have been telling all these years — what if it turns out to be a lie?” he asks, later adding, “Could we not just run a DNA test on the Taj Mahal?” The scene closes bleakly: “We are spreading a lie.”

Overview Of The Film

That exchange appears in director Tushar Goel’s controversial October release The Taj Story, a 165-minute courtroom drama that questions the widely accepted history of the 17th-century monument. The film dramatizes a revisionist and widely discredited theory that the Taj Mahal was originally a Hindu palace later repurposed as a mausoleum by Islamic rulers.

Plot And Tone

The narrative centers on Das (played by Paresh Rawal), a tour guide whose personal crisis over telling the romantic origin of the Taj leads him to file public interest litigation challenging the monument’s official history. In the courtroom scenes, historians and archaeologists try to present archival evidence, but their arguments are repeatedly overshadowed by Das’s emotional appeals, which condemn alleged "leftist agendas" and the "over‑romanticising" of Mughal history.

Reception And Controversy

Critics and many academics have dismissed the film as a collage of conspiracy theories, accusing it of blending fact and fiction to advance an ideological agenda rather than rigorous historical inquiry. Reviews describe it as failing both as compelling cinema and as persuasive propaganda. The movie begins with a two-minute disclaimer stating it is "a work of fiction" and that its makers "do not claim historical accuracy."

Commercially, director Goel reported the film earned about $2 million against a reported $1.3 million budget. While box-office returns were modest, the film has resonated with some viewers and public figures. BJP lawmaker Ashwini Upadhyay praised the film, saying "the truth cannot be kept hidden any longer," while some audience members left screenings convinced they had been misled about history.

Politics, History And Public Memory

Observers place The Taj Story in the context of broader debates about history and identity in India since the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014. Critics argue there has been a concerted effort in some quarters to reframe the country’s past — downplaying Mughal contributions, renaming places, and revising textbooks — and that popular films play a role in shaping public understanding.

Paresh Rawal, who plays Das, is a former BJP lawmaker. Director Goel has said the film received no formal political financing or backing. Still, many historians point out that the film’s antagonists are often Muslim characters, and its promotional poster — which depicted the Hindu god Shiva emerging from the mausoleum — ignited further controversy.

Historical Evidence And Official Rejection

Scholars and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have consistently rejected revisionist claims such as the 20th-century "Tejo Mahalaya" theory popularized by P.N. Oak, finding no credible archaeological or documentary evidence to support them. Historian Swapna Liddle noted that the Mughal era is well documented: the empire maintained extensive bureaucratic records, and large imperial projects such as the Taj Mahal are historically traceable.

Why It Matters

Historians warn that popular cinema has outsized influence on public perceptions. Fictionalized portrayals can shape people’s "general idea of history," especially when audiences mistake dramatized narratives for factual accounts. The film arrives amid a string of recent releases that critics say have vilified Muslim figures or triggered political backlash — reinforcing concerns about the power of entertainment to reshape collective memory.

Conclusion

The Taj Mahal itself remains unchanged: its white marble continues to gleam over the Yamuna River as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a global symbol of architectural achievement and the Mughal-era story associated with Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. But the stories people tell about it are increasingly contested — and The Taj Story has become the latest flashpoint in a broader debate about history, identity and the role of art in public life.