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Deepak Raje Shirke, the descendant, alleged that his family members have been incorrectly portrayed as the traitors. In the movie, Maratha commanders Ganoji and Kanhoji Shirke are portrayed as the people who have a hand in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s capture by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. In a statement, Deepak said, “Our reputation has been deeply affected. The whole of India thinks of us as gaddar (traitors). If the filmmakers continue to ignore us, we will take to the streets in protest. The Shirke family numbers are in lakhs in Maharashtra.”
He also added, “Chhava was, otherwise, a good film and the story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj should come before audiences. Only the few controversial parts must be removed.”
The family formally issued a complaint against the producers on February 20. A notice has been issued to director Laxman Utekar to clarify his take on the alleged inaccuracies. Many reports also suggest that Utekar reached out to one of the Shirke family members, Bhushan Shirke, to apologise for any unintended distress caused to the family. He said, “We have only mentioned the names of Ganoji and Kanhoji in Chhaava without referring to their surname. We’ve also made sure to not disclose the village they belonged to. Our intention was not to hurt the sentiments of the Shirke family. I sincerely apologise if Chhaava caused any discomfort.”
However, the Shirke family has noted that they will escalate the issue if their concerns are not heard and demands not met.
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