The Taj Story movie review
Director: Tushar Amrish Goel
Cast: Paresh Rawal, Zakir Hussain, Amruta Khanvilkar, Namit Das, Sneha Wagh
Rating: ★★
Paresh Rawal plays an Agra tour guide in The Taj Story, and at one point, he answers the question already on every viewer’s mind: why are we suddenly revisiting the Taj Mahal’s history?
Why today?
Why 2025?
He calls it a “desh ka mudda,” something people apparently do not raise often. But instead of clarity, this only leaves us more puzzled.
The plot
Directed by Tushar Amrish Goel, The Taj Story found itself in controversy even before its release. Some dismissed it as propaganda, others accused it of distorting facts. The film itself, though, is far less explosive than it imagines. Its premise is promising: a tour guide’s life is turned upside down after a viral video of him questioning the Taj Mahal’s origins leads to his dismissal. Determined to fight back, he decides to challenge the official version of history in court.
Written by Goel and Saurabh M. Pandey, the film’s first half is short and predictable, tracing the journey of an ordinary man turned reluctant rebel. The second half turns into a courtroom drama packed with references to manuscripts, historians, and old texts, but none of it holds your attention for long. The courtroom scenes move by the book: a public outrage, a self-represented hero, and a climactic verbal duel filled with one-liners. The problem is, here, none of it lands.
Paresh’s constant stream of sarcastic remarks during the courtroom exchanges wears thin quickly. What should have felt powerful often turns unintentionally comic. The film tries hard to be thought-provoking but never quite convinces you.
The verdict
There is an interesting idea at the heart of The Taj Story, revisiting the myths around India’s most famous monument. The execution doesn’t support it, draining it of any real impact. The dialogue is loud when it should be sharp, the arguments shallow when they should be persuasive. By the end, the film neither provokes debate nor leaves you with insight. The cinematography by Satyajit Hajarnis captures the Taj beautifully, if that counts as a silver line.
The religious undertone is, of course, at full play here, and it is exaggerated at certain points, particularly in a baffling scene involving a kidnapping that feels forced. These stretches distract from the core debate the film sets out to explore.
Paresh carries The Taj Story almost entirely on his shoulders because he remains immensely watchable. Yet he is also too familiar in this space, bringing nothing new to the role. Zakir Hussain, as the opposing counsel, deserved better writing, while Amruta Khanvilkar as a documentary filmmaker is barely given any room to perform.
Overall, The Taj Story aims to be revelatory in its 2 hours 45 minute runtime, trying to shake up accepted truths, but it has little in its arsenal to do so.
