Vicky Kaushal's Chhaava Controversy: Fake content, manipulation or PR strategy to pump in more money?

Chhaava led by Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna has emerged as a blockbuster. Despite allegations of corporate and block booking on Maddock Films, this Dinesh Vijan-produced flick has in reality managed to attract an excellent response in the theaters. And just as it is with every successful movie, Chhaava and the character of Sambhaji Maharaj portrayed by Vicky Kaushal has managed to trigger a lot of discussion and debate on social media.

Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava is a period movie

Director Laxman Utekar has made Chhaava based on the novel of the same name written by the famous Marathi writer Shivaji Sawant. The story primarily depicts what is written in the novel about Sambhaji Maharaj, Yesubai, and other characters who were a part of the clan of Shambhu Maharaj and his team. Being a period movie, most of the movie showcases facts about real people and real happenings.

One particular sequence hints at the way Sambhaji Maharaj fell into the hands of Aurangzeb and indicates that his own sardar’s cheated him which was why the Moghul Emperor could capture and kill him.

Allegations against Chhaava and the threat

The movie hints that a few Maratha sardars joined hands with Aurangzeb and it was due to their deceit that the Maratha king fell into the hands of Aurangzeb. The same has been mentioned in the book by Shivaji Sawant and Laxman Utekar has followed a similar storyline for his Vicky Kaushal-led flick.

Now the descendants of Ganoji and Kanhoji Shirke have accused the filmmaker of Chhaava of distorting facts and threatened to file a defamation lawsuit of 100 crore against them. To avoid the clash Laxman Utekar has apologised to the Shirke descendants and has also said that the movie does not directly mention any village or surname.

Falsify history with fictional story and ask sorry when gets caught. Bollywood is making fool of audience....!!
byu/Just_Chill_Yaar inBollyBlindsNGossip

A PR strategy to attract more money?

Incidentally, this Vicky Kaushal movie in its disclaimer clearly mentions that Chhaava is based on the novel of Shivaji Sawant which does mention that the Shrike’s told Aurangzeb about the whereabouts of Sambhaji Maharaj. This particular fact has been debated for many years now. Web users believe that it is being done purposely by the Shrike to gain money now that Chhaava is earning big.

A Reddit user wrote, “It is done deliberately. Just to keep the movie in the news. The aggrieved earn some money from it and the opposite side gets cheap publicity.” Another Reddit user wrote, “So-called shirke descendants want money from producers. They were sleeping when TV serials and books were released. Everyone knows who betrayed.”