'Samrat Prithviraj': All controversies surrounding Akshay Kumar's historical action drama
Yash Raj Films (YRF) recently agreed to change the title of its next offering Prithviraj to Samrat Prithviraj. This came days after the production house was reported not to budge in front of the Karni Sena's demands. But that's not all. The Akshay Kumar-led historical action drama has been reeling with controversies since its inception. Here is a comprehensive list of all the controversies.
Back in December 2021, Rajasthan's Gurjar community wanted Chandraprakash Dwivedi's film to depict Prithviraj as a Gurjar. The Akhil Bharatiya Veer Gurjar Mahasabha claimed that the warrior king was a Gurjar and not Rajput, as depicted in the trailer. The organization had threatened to restrict the film's screening and also staged a protest in Ajmer. This claim was, however, dismissed by the Rajput community.
Besides the Karni Sena, the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha also demanded the title should be changed to Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan. The title Prithviraj was seen as an insult, noting it was "condemnable" to not address him with the full name. "The insult of the great brave warrior Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan ji is an insult to every citizen of India," the community had said.
Adding to their demands, the Kshatriya Mahasabha also wanted the film's script to be approved by senior members of the Kshatriya society. The makers were also asked to screen the film for them before its theatrical release. They had instructed the makers to remove any and all objectionable and distorted facts before screening the movie. The community had warned that non-compliance will have consequences.
The Karni Sena issued many threats, too. "If they don't listen to our advice they will have to face the consequences. What happened to Sanjay Leela Bhansali during Padmaavat, makers of this film will have to be prepared for it," the organization had warned in May last year. Since YRF has agreed to change the title, hopefully, troubles are over for Samrat Prithviraj.
