Rajasthan CM Gehlot on 'Panipat' row: It is the government's prerogative to probe

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday asserted that it is a prerogative of the government to probe if facts are incorrectly portrayed in the new film 'Panipat'. "I have not seen the movie. It is a prerogative of the government. If any such incident is there in the movie, the concerned departments must be looking into it. It will be shown," Gehlot said in reply to a question by a media person.

Vasundhara Raje condemned the movie 

The movie, which is based on the third battle of Panipat and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, found itself caught up in a controversy on Sunday over two days after its release. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has also accused the director of 'Panipat' Ashutosh Gowariker, of portraying Maharaja Surajmal in 'wrong light', which she said, was 'condemnable.'

Ahead of the movie's release on Friday, the MNS chief Raj Thackeray had recommended the movie as a must-watch while highlighting the courage of the Marathas in the fight to protect their sovereignty. He had said that the film deserved to be viewed by everyone in the country. He said that one needs to go revisit the history of the battle of Panipat to appreciate the “perspective behind this defeat".

Locals burn effigies of Ashutosh Gowariker

Raje's statement comes amidst protests in parts of Rajasthan against the period drama starring Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon and Arjun Kapoor. The period drama seems to have not gone down well with the Jat community of Rajasthan that alleged the wrong portrayal of Maharaja Surajmal. The locals have been burning effigy of director Ashutosh Gowariker in protest. Several other locals are protesting the fact that in the film all the actors are speaking in Rajasthani & Hariyanvi whereas they actually spoke the Braj language. 

READ | Panipat review: Audience term the historical drama as a layered and detailed war movie

READ | After Raj Thackeray's endorsement, Vasundhara Raje condemns Arjun Kapoor's 'Panipat'

Bone of contention

In the movie, the great Maratha warrior Sadashiv Rao Bhau (essayed by Arjun Kapoor) asks Maharaja Surajmal for help against the invading Afghans, but Maharaja Surajmal raised his demands in return. When his demands were not met, he refused to accompany Sadashiv in his battle against the Afghans.

READ | Panipat: Rajasthan locals protest against the film, burn effigies of Ashutosh Gowariker

READ | Panipat BO collection for day 1 seems to have fallen short of makers' expectations

(With ANI inputs)