Paresh Rawal’s ‘Propaganda’ Film Trends No 1 On OTT; Minted Just Rs 23.98 Crore At Box Office

When one of Paresh Rawal’s courtroom drama released last year, it was widely criticised and labelled as “propaganda”. The negative word of mouth also affected its box office run. Released on October 31, the film received mostly two-star ratings from critics, many of whom said the narrative felt scattered and heavily biased. Made on a reported budget of Rs 12 crore, the film managed to earn Rs 23.98 crore worldwide during its 35-day theatrical run.

Despite the lukewarm response in theatres, the film has now found a second life online. It made its OTT debut on March 13 and has since climbed to the No 1 spot on the platform’s trending list.

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The Taj Story

The Taj Story centres on a legal battle that seeks to uncover what is described in the film as the “real history” of the Taj Mahal. The story follows Vishnu Das, a man whose family has worked as guides near the Taj Mahal for generations.

The plot takes shape when Vishnu Das files a case in court, claiming that the Taj Mahal is not actually a mausoleum built by Shah Jahan but an ancient Hindu temple known as “Tejo Mahalaya”.

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The film largely unfolds through courtroom debates, where Vishnu Das demands that the 22 sealed rooms beneath the Taj Mahal be opened and subjected to carbon dating so the truth about the monument can be established. However, critics felt the film fails to fully address the questions it raises. The film even faced backlash and landed in a controversy, with petitions filed in the court to halt the release of the film. 

 

 

 

 

 

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After Paresh Rawal’s film landed in controversy, he said there’s no “Hindu-Muslim jingoism in the film”, and went on to quote a dialogue from the film, NDTV reported. 

“There’s even a dialogue in the film where a character says, ‘Brother, it’s you journalists who make everything about Hindu and Muslim. There’s no Hindu-Muslim conflict here. This is about shared history,’” the actor said.

He went on to quote another scene that captures the film's message of peace and reflection, “When someone says, ‘What should we do with this?’ another replies, ‘Break it.’ Then a character says, ‘No, brother, we’re not the ones who destroy. Not even a scratch should come to it. Every problem cannot be solved by breaking or destroying things. Sometimes, acceptance itself is a big thing.’”

Cast And OTT Details

The film features Paresh Rawal as Vishnu Das, alongside Namit Das, Zakir Hussain and Amruta Khanvilkar in key roles. It is directed by Tushar Amrish.

This courtroom drama is currently streaming on Lionsgate Play and is available to watch in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil.