द ताज स्टोरी

Vishnu Das, a Taj Mahal guide who has spent his life explaining the monument to tourists, becomes fixated on uncovering what he believes to be the monument's suppressed true history. The film frames its revisionist argument as a courtroom drama and social provocation, challenging accepted historical narratives in a manner critics labelled Hindutva propaganda. Written and directed by Tushar Amrish Goel, the film faced an unusually lengthy CBFC review requiring submission of historical documents before its theatrical release on 31 October 2025. Paresh Rawal leads an ensemble that includes Zakir Hussain and Amruta Khanvilkar.

2-song EP released October 31, 2025 on Zee Music Company. Dham Dhadak (4:36) features Kailash Kher in a devotional-energetic register, composed by Rahul Dev Nath with lyrics by Vikram Choudhary. Bawara Mann (3:45) is a softer ballad sung by Javed Ali, composed by Rohit Sharma with lyrics by Amal Donwaar.

The Taj Story is notable primarily as a document of the Hindutva-influenced revisionist historical genre that gained commercial currency in mid-2020s Hindi cinema. Its contested production history — requiring CBFC submission of historical documents before release — and the sharp negative critical reception make it culturally significant as an artefact rather than an artistic achievement. Kailash Kher's devotional register in 'Dham Dhadak' and Javed Ali's soft ballad 'Bawara Mann' both outperform the film's critical standing.

Theatrically released October 31, 2025, the film received largely negative critical reception with reviewers labelling it Hindutva propaganda. Box office figures were not publicly disclosed. Unusually, the two songs — Kailash Kher's 'Dham Dhadak' and Javed Ali's 'Bawara Mann' — attracted more favourable response than the film itself, making the music the only element with lasting appeal.