Vicky Kaushal starrer Chhaava director Laxman Utekar confirms DELETING dance scenes amid row

Actor Vicky Kaushal is all set to break records with his upcoming historical drama Chhaava. He is playing the role of Sambhaji Maharaj in the film. Now, the film director Laxman Utekar confirmed on Monday (January 27) that he will be deleting the dance sequence featuring Sambhaji Maharaj with his wife, Maharani Yesubai.

Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava director to delete Sambhaji’s dance scene

Chhaava director Laxman Utekar recently met MNS chief Raj Thackeray. Post his meeting, he made the official statement released to the media. Utekar shared that it was just a matter of a dance sequence and nothing is bigger than the legacy of the Maratha king.

The director, in his statement, said, “I have met Raj Thackeray. He is an avid reader and studious person. So I have taken some suggestions and guidance from him. And I can say, his words are very helpful for me. And after meeting him, I have decided to delete those scenes where we have shown Sambhaji Maharaj was playing the Lezim dance.”

He added, “Lezim dance is not a big deal. Sambhaji Maharaj is very much bigger than the Lezim dance. So we are going to remove those scenes from the film.”

Laxman Utekar on making historians watch the film before its release

He also addressed the concerns of several Maharashtra ministers, insisting on making historians watch the film before its release. Utekar said, “We have organised a special premiere show on the 29th of January. Some historians and people who study history will be there. We will take their guidance.”

Laxman’s confirmation of deleting the dance sequence followed a series of objections from ministers in Maharashtra, threatening to ban the release of the film in the state if the sequence was not removed. On Sunday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his concern with the film’s portrayal of Sambhaji Maharaj. He told the media, “Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s history should be shown correctly, it is not right to distort history. Everyone has a lot of love and respect for Sambhaji Maharaj. This respect and honour should not be hurt. There should be creativity (in filmmaking) but we believe that there should be sensitivity along with it.”

About Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava

Directed by Laxman Utekar and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films, Chhaava stars Vicky Kaushal as Maratha King Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. The film is an adaptation of the Marathi novel Chhava by Shivaji Sawant and also features Rashmika Mandanna and Akshaye Khanna in pivotal roles.

The film boasts a musical score by AR Rahman and will be released in theatres this Valentine’s Day, February 14.

Also Read: Chhaava in trouble? Vicky Kaushal starrer faces scrutiny as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s descendant raises concerns over historical inaccuracies