Ashutosh Gowariker’s Panipat has run into trouble, with the Rajasthan royal family and a minister demanding a ban on the film as it allegedly distorts history. Minister Vishvendra Singh has alleged that king Surajmal of Bharatpur in Rajasthan, of whom he is a descendant, has been shown in a negative light in the film which is not true. According to Singh, Maharaja Surajmal had given the Peshwas and Marathas shelter after the third battle of Panipat but in the film, he has been shown to ditch the Peshwas. The Jats also took offence to the film and demanded a ban on the same.
There were protests held by the Jats in various parts of the city of Jaipur today (9th December). It was claimed that the Jat community in Haryana, Rajasthan and other parts of North India were hurt by the incorrect portrayal of Surajmal and this could lead to a law and order situation in the country. Fearing damage to their cinemas, exhibitors of the pink city pulled off the film from the cinemas from the 4 p.m. and later shows. Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje also criticised the film and decried the distortion of history. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said, the matter would be looked into and necessary steps would be taken. A memorandum was given to Gehlot by the agitators, demanding a ban on the film.
Panipat is a historical starring Arjun Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt. It deals with the third battle of Panipat fought in 1761. Earlier, the Jats had objected to “distortion of history” in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat too. Ashutosh Gowariker himself had had a taste of the Jat ire when the community had raised a hue and cry over his Jodhaa Akbar.