Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker is back with another film that will take the audience back in time. Set in 1761, Panipat is about the Maratha empire. Back then their grip on Hindustan reigned supreme until an invader set his eyes on the throne of Hindustan. Here's when Sadashiv Rao Bhau (Arjun Kapoor), the Commander-in-Chief of the Maratha army led a northern expedition in order to repel the invading forces of Ahmad Shah Abdali (Sanjay Dutt), the king of Afghanistan.

Kriti Sanon plays Arjun's wife, Parvatibai in the film, and in the trailer, she can be heard saying, “Maine suna hai Peshwa jab akele muhim par jaate hain to ek Mastani ke saath laut te hain (I have heard whenever Peshwa goes to battle alone, he returns with a Mastani).” The particular dialogue has not gone down well with a descendant of Peshwa Baji Rao, who has decided to move to court for presenting the legendary Maratha general and his second wife Mastani in a derogatory way.

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The eighth-generation descendant of the Peshwa, Nawabzada Shadab Ali Bahadur, has reportedly sent notices to producers Sunita Gowarikar and Rohit Shelatkar, and director Ashutosh Gowarikar to make required actions. “The particular dialogue in the movie — ‘whenever Peshwa returns from battleground, he brings one Mastani’ — is in bad taste and highly objectionable. The way it has been used, presents a bad picture of not only Mastani Sahiba but also of the Peshwa to our audience and to young minds unaware of Maratha history. Mastani Bai was the bona fide wife of Peshwa Baji Rao and not just another woman,” Shadab Ali, who now lives in Bhopal, confirmed to a leading portal.

“After seeing that portion in the trailer of the movie, I have sent notices to the producers and the director to remove that portion or make necessary changes. If they don’t respond, I’ll move court against them,” he added. Shadab, who has also brought the issue to CBFC's notice, further mentioned, “Mastani sahiba had died 21 years prior to the third Battle of Panipat. There’s no logic in using her name along with the Peshwa’s. It has been done in an indecorous manner to gain cheap popularity."

Panipat is slated to release in theatres on December 6, 2019.

(Source: Firstpost)