Watched Paresh Rawal's The Taj Story? Check out other gripping propaganda movies available on OTT

Paresh Rawal's The Taj Story hit the theatres on October 31 and made little progress at the box office collecting Rs 1.80 crore on its second day, making it a total of Rs 2.70 crore within two days of its release, as per tracker Sacnilk. The movie falls under the propaganda genre as it delves into controversial questions about the construction of the Taj Mahal, challenging the historical narratives about one of seven wonders of the world. Catch similar flicks with OTTplay Premium that fall under propaganda genre.

Movies with intriguing propaganda theme:

The Kerala Story

This controversial drama focuses on a Hindu woman Shalini Unnikrishnan from Kerala who is allegedly converted to Islam and then trafficked to Syria to join the terrorist group ISIS and groomed to become suicide bomber. The movie is presented as a fictionalised account based on real-life stories. Critics have characterised The Kerala Story as Islamophobic propaganda movie claiming it has hate speeches in multiple scenes, leading to West Bengal government ban its screening initially.

The Kashmir Files

This thriller drama presented a fictionalised account of the 1990s exodus of Hindus (Pandits) from thr Kashmir valley during the height of insurgency. The movie depicted the events as a genocide and fouced on the sufferings and struggles of the Kashmiri Pandit community. The Kashmir Files is projected as propaganda movie due to its one-sided portayal, with critics claiming it a Hindu nationalist agenda by focusing almost exclusively on Muslim violence.

The Sabarmati Report

This political drama is based on the real-life Godhra train burning incident from 2002 where fifty-nine passengers (mostly Hindu pilgrims) died in the fire. The movie focuses through the eyes of a journalist who's quest to uncover the truth behind the tragedy challenges the initial report of an accident. Critics pointed out The Sabarmati Report as propaganda claiming it selectively presented a narrative that favors the current political establishment, rather than providing a neutral account of the events.

Bastar: The Naxal Story

This crime drama is also based on the real-life events of the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. The movie follows a female police officer battling the Maoist movement, which is attempting to create a separate, radical leftist state within India. Critiques from certain political groups like Students Federation of India (SFI) argued Bastar demonises institutions like JNU and its students by portraying a one-sided, negative view of the Naxalite movement.

Article 370

This action thriller dramatised the events and covert operations that led to the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which granted special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. The movie shows the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani and dramatised version of the Pulwama Attack. Critics have called the movie a brazen celebration of the government's decision to revoke Article 370, while common audience pointed out that the movie is not a purely based on factual account.

The Tashkent Files

This conspiracy thriller focuses on the mysterious death of India's 2nd Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, in Tashkent, just a few hours after signing the peace agreement with Pakistan in 1966. The movie explores various conspiracy theories and unanswered questions of his death which was officially attributed to a heart attack. Critics found The Tashkent Files a propaganda claiming it lacks logical evidence of death and is politically motivated.

FAQs:

Q. What is the story behind the Taj Mahal?

A. Taj Mahal was built by the 5th Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in memory of his third but the most favourite wife, in fact a soul-mate Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess. She died while accompanying her husband in Burhanpur in a campaign to crush a rebellion after giving birth to their 13th child.

Q. What is the plot of The Taj Story?

A. The Taj Story follows an old-agend man Vishnu Das, who's an Agra-based tourist guide who files a petition questioning the historical proof that Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal. He demands to know on what basis the monument's story found its way into school textbooks and calls for an excavation to uncover what lies beneath the marble structure.