New Delhi: As the fate of Diljit Dosanjh’s political drama Satluj continues to be in limbo, another contentious independent film has found its way to audiences. The Marathi film Khalid Ka Shivaji was released on OTT last week, nearly a year after its theatrical release was blocked.
The film, which premiered at Cannes’ Marché du Film last year, narrates the story of a Muslim boy who forms a deep connection with the Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Even though his classmates taunt him by calling him Afzal Khan, the Bijapur Sultanate commander killed by Shivaji, his admiration for the Maratha warrior doesn’t waver.
Khalid Ka Shivaji was originally set to release in theatres on 8 August 2025, but an I&B Ministry order forced director Raj More to halt the release just a day before.
“Just because there’s a Muslim name, it has stirred trouble. They couldn’t digest that a Muslim name has been linked to Shivaji,” Khalid Ka Shivaji actor, Priyadarshan Jadhav, told ThePrint.
Khalid Ka Shivaji received a censor certificate with five cuts but the release was still halted.
“We can sense polarisation. This is reverse propaganda because if films like Kerala Files get released in theatres, and Satluj and Khalid Ka Shivaji struggle to find screens, it shows that some people want to control what should be portrayed and what shouldn’t,” Jadhav added.
The problem started when the film’s trailer was released in India. Some of Shivaji’s followers objected to the historical claims made in the film. The outrage led to the Maharashtra government cancelling the film’s censor certificate.
More, known for winning the National Film Award for his 2020 short film, Khisa (Pocket), made changes, which included re-dubbing a dialogue where a character talks about the presence of 35 per cent Muslims in Shivaji’s army.
“While we were shooting, we didn’t want to create controversy. It is a sweet, beautiful and interesting film through the lens of a child–How he looks at Shivaji Maharaj as an administrator and a Maratha warrior. Our intent was good, Our heart was always in the right place,” Jadhav said.
Khalid Ka Shivaji is currently streaming on YouTube, BookMyShow and Apple TV
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)