Having experienced The Taj Story in a full-house screening with an engaged audience, I walked out with ambivalence. I appreciated the bold proposition of examining the Taj Mahal’s origins and challenging history in a courtroom. I am just not sure the film was able to follow through on its own promise.
What Works
Lead actor Paresh Rawal delivers a committed performance as Vishnu Das—a tour guide turned petitioner bringing gravitas, charisma, and a quietly simmering defiance to his role. His emotional arc from trusted guide to controversial figure is one of the few parts that genuinely resonate. Many reviewers echo this. For example, social media reactions highlight Rawal’s “power-packed delivery” and that “pauses his body language” carry weight even when the script does not.
The production design, especially in the early part of the film, succeeds in grounding the story: Agra’s tourist routes, the tour-guide life, the courtroom setting—all reasonably authentic. The film’s ambition to go beyond entertainment and provoke questions about accepted history is commendable. Critics note that the film joins a legacy of Indian courtroom dramas trying to do more than just courtroom theatrics.
What Doesn’t
Yet ambition alone doesn’t make the film work. From around the halfway mark, the film descends into repetitive courtroom sequences, long dialogues, and a structure that feels like a debate rather than dramatic cinema. According to one review: “Erratic writing is the film’s biggest, but by no means the only, drawback.”
The central question: “Who built the Taj Mahal? What’s the real story behind it?”—is raised, but the film offers little resolution or nuance. The script seems more intent on presenting an argument than exploring its implications. As The Indian Express puts it: “At 165 minutes, The Taj Story trudges on without offering any real answers to the questions it raises.”
There are also concerns about tone and agenda. Some scenes feel heavy-handed; stereotypes appear, tonal shifts are jarring, and the film alternates between serious exploration and near-propaganda. One critic went so far as to call the film “an eighth wonder of gaslighting, half-truths and dangerous simplification.”
If I were to summarise, The Taj Story is thoughtful in intention but uneven in execution. It’s worth watching if you enjoy films that challenge the status quo, spark debate, and rely on performance over spectacle. But if you’re looking for coherent storytelling, emotionally layered characters, or a concluded narrative that leaves you satisfied rather than drained, you might find yourself frustrated.