Chhaava: Vicky Kaushal Reveals Why Chhatrapati Sambhaji’s Controversial Dance Was Removed From Movie, Says “If His Followers Feel It Was…”

Chhaava star Vicky Kaushal has addressed the removal of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s dance sequence from the movie. Here’s what he said!

By
Piyush Yadav
- February 7, 2025 | 1:14 PM IST
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The upcoming historical epic Chhaava, starring Vicky Kaushal, has garnered immense attention for portraying Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s life. The film, directed by Laxman Utekar, captures his heroism, struggles, and legacy and promises a deep dive into the Maratha warrior’s journey and life. However, the historical drama was at the center of controversy after its trailer.

Maharashtra minister Uday Samant and several historians objected to a scene in which the revered Maratha ruler was shown performing a traditional Lezim dance. Following public outcry and threats to block the film’s release, the makers opted to delete the scene, with Kaushal himself addressing the controversy.

Vicky Kaushal Reveals Why His Dance Sequence Was Deleted From Chhaava

Vicky Kaushal, who plays the titular role in Chhaava, responded to the backlash in a recent press interaction, explaining the rationale behind removing the dance sequence. As quoted by Hindustan Times, Kaushal felt the dance scene was shot to promote the culture globally. However, the makers realized there was no need to add this scene if Sambhaji Maharaj’s followers disagreed with its spirit.

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“Not a single day went by when we didn’t start work on the film without the Shivgarjana (slogans about the courage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj). The lezim part was just for 20-30 seconds (in the film). It was not just a (part of the) story, but it was an effort to take our culture to the globe,” Vicky stated. “Sambhaji Maharaj was a king of the people, and if someone asked him to play (lezim) with them, the king would definitely oblige. But if his followers feel it was a bit off… It is not important to the movie’s story, so we have removed it,” he cont

While the film’s teaser was widely praised, fans of all kinds found the dance scene out of the theme. Controversy erupted after Minister Uday Samant expressed strong disapproval of the scene. Eventually, it led the makers to delete the dance scene from the movie. Besides Kaushal, the movie stars Rashmika Mandanna, Akshaye Khanna, and Ashutosh Rana in leading roles and will be released on February 14, 2025.

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