Delhi High Court quashes petition against Akshay Kumar starrer Samrat Prithviraj

New Delhi, June 1 (Agency) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday disposed off a petition filed against upcoming Bollywood movie ‘Samrat Prithviraj,’ starring superstar Akshay Kumar, for allegedly impersonating the ruler as a Rajput King, instead of a Gurjar King. A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Sachin Datta closed the matter after the Counsel for Yash Raj Films made a categorical statement that the movie was absolutely neutral and did not refer to any caste, either Rajput or Gurjar. The petition was filed by Gurjar Samaj Sarv Sangthan Sabha Ekta Samanya Samiti. It contended that the film was based on the book Prithviraj Raso, a composition by famous Indian poet Chand Bardai Barot.

The Counsel for the Samiti submitted that the book referred to Prithviraj Chauhan as a Gurjar warrior and hence, depicting him as a Rajput King in the movie was wrong. He alleged that certain articles promoted by the producers of the film showed that the flick depicted the ruler as a Rajput. The Counsel for Yash Raj Films submitted before the Court that the movie did not portray the ruler as either Rajput or Gurjar. He further submitted that the production house wanted to show it as an Indian film and had consciously kept it caste-neutral. The Counsel for the Samiti submitted that if the movie was caste-neutral, his grievance stood resolved and he did not wish to press the petition any further. The Court, while disposing off the petition, made it clear that the respondents shall remain bound by their statement.