PremiumVicky Kaushal on Chhaava controversy: 'Lezim dance deleted scene was an effort to make our culture global, but...'
Vicky Kaushal's Chhaava came under the spotlight right after its teaser release, owing to the lezim dance sequence controversy, and now the lead actor has spoken on it
Last Updated: 09.07 AM, Feb 07, 2025
Vicky Kaushal has finally reacted to the deleted lezim dance in his upcoming film, Chhaava. The scene became controversial after Shivaji Maharaj's ancestor objected to its usage in telling the tale. Vicky has made a strong statement on the deleted scene, finally clearing his views on the whole controversy. Here's what he said...
Vicky Kaushal on Chhaava controversy and deleted lezim dance
"The lezim part was just for 20-30 seconds (in the film). It was not just a (part of the) story, but it was an effort to take our culture to the globe," Vicky told the media in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Even though he rebelled against removing the part because it would have given the dance form recognition on a global scale, Vicky further added, "Sambhaji Maharaj was a king of the people, and if someone asked him to play (lezim) with them, the king would definitely oblige. But if his followers feel it was a bit off… It is not important to the movie’s story, so we have removed it."
The Chhava controversy and consequent lezim dance scene removal
Maharashtra minister Uday Samant was displeased upon seeing Vicky Kaushal dance in his role of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. He had also threatened that he and his followers wouldn't let the movie release if they objected to deleting the dance sequence and cross-referencing the movie with historians.
Director Laxman Utekar then approached Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray and on his suggestion, the lezim dance was consequently deleted from the movie. He further ensured that all objectionable scenes from the movie would be deleted before release.
About Chhaava
Chhaava tells the life's tale of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's son, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Vicky Kaushal portrays the very character in the movie. Apart from him, Chhaava features Rashmika Mandanna, Akshaye Khanna, Ashutosh Rana, and Divya Dutta in pivotal roles. The film will be out on February 14.