Chhaava sparks fresh controversy, director Laxman Utekar issues apology? Know why

New Delhi: After dodging controversy by removing a contentious dance sequence, Chhaava has now landed in fresh trouble. The much-talked-about film is facing allegations of historical inaccuracy. How, you ask? Well, let us enlighten you!

According to an indiatoday.in report, descendants of Maratha warriors Ganoji and Kanhoji Shirke are unhappy with the portrayal of their ancestors as traitors to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. They are even planning to file a Rs 100 crore defamation lawsuit.

Laxmikant Raje Shirke, the 13th descendant of Ganoji and Kanhoji Shirke, has reportedly alleged that the movie distorts historical facts and misrepresents his ancestors. It is being said that a legal notice has been sent to the director regarding the same.

The media outlet, citing Pudhari, further stated that director Laxman Utekar reached out to one of the descendants, named Bhushan Shirke, to apologise for unintentionally hurting the family. He was quoted as saying that the film only mentions the names Ganoji and Kanhoji in Chhaava, but does not refer to their surname anywhere.

Utekar added that they also ensured not to reveal the name of the village the warriors belonged to. He highlighted that the team had no intention of hurting the sentiments of the Shirke family.

Chhaava Box Office collection

According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Chhaava has so far collected Rs 345.07 crore at the Indian Box Office. Winning the hearts of cinema lovers, it has emerged as the highest-grossing Indian film of 2025. Produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films, the film features music by award-winning composer AR Rahman.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Maddock Films (@maddockfilms)

Chhaava stars Vicky Kaushal as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the second king of the Maratha Empire. The cast also includes Akshaye Khanna as Aurangzeb, Rashmika Mandanna as Yesubai Bhonsale, Diana Penty as Zinat-un-Nissa Begum, Neil Bhoopalam as Prince Muhammad Akbar and Vineet Kumar Singh as Kavi Kalash. The movie opened to mostly positive reviews on February 14, 2025.