Indian film Chhaava’s director Laxman Utekar announced on Monday that the movie will not include a Lezim (folk dance form) dance performed by Sambhaji Maharaj and his wife, Maharani Yesubai after a meeting with Indian Military Nursing Services (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray.

Utekar stated that the dance sequence was minor compared to the legacy of the Maratha king.

“Thackeray 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 Lezim dance,” the director said in a statement.

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

Utekar explained that when Sambhaji Maharaj launched an attack in Barhanpur, he was only 20 years old. He mentioned that they acquired the rights to Shivaji Sawant’s book “Chhava,” which describes Sambhaji’s participation in the Holi festival, including a scene where he removes a coconut from the holy fire.

Utekar stated that they envisioned Sambhaji as a young man who would have participated in the Lezim dance, emphasizing that it is a traditional part of Maratha culture. However, he acknowledged that if the dance moves caused any offense, they would remove them, asserting that the Lezim dance is not more important than the legacy of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

“We have organised a special premiere show on 29th of January. Some historians and people who study history will be there. We will take their guidance.”

“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,” he added.

“Chhaava,” based on Shivaji Sawant’s book, focuses on Sambhaji Maharaj’s valor and reign. Utekar noted that Sambhaji is portrayed as a 20-year-old in the film.

Maharashtra minister Uday Samant also opposed the dance sequence, expressing his concerns on X regarding the film’s release.

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