The Taj Story Movies Story, Cast, OTT Updates and Review

The Taj Story is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language propaganda film written and directed by Tushar Amrish Goel, and produced by CA Suresh Jha under the banner of Swarnim Global Services Pvt. Ltd. It stars Paresh Rawal in the lead role and explores controversial claims about the origins of the Taj Mahal.

Story Overview

The Taj Story follows Vishnu Das (Paresh Rawal), a veteran tourist guide at the Taj Mahal in Agra, who has spent over 25 years recounting the conventional love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Struggling financially with his son Avinash (Namit Das), Vishnu becomes intrigued by alternative historical claims about the monument's origins, leading him to file a court petition challenging whether it was truly built as a mausoleum or has roots in a pre-existing Hindu structure. The film unfolds as a courtroom drama delving into controversial theories, evidence, and debates, blending elements of mystery, propaganda, and Hindutva ideology while questioning established historical narratives.

Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Raashii Khanna, Vivan Bhatena, Ankit Siwach

Box Office Collection

The Taj Story, released on October 31, 2025, concluded its theatrical run with an India net collection of ₹20.32 crore, India gross of ₹23.98 crore, and worldwide gross of ₹25.12 crore, including ₹1.15 crore from overseas. Produced on a budget of ₹12 crore, the film achieved a 69% return on investment and was declared a success despite facing competition and sharp weekday drops, such as an 80% decline on its second Monday to ₹0.13 crore. It opened with ₹0.90 crore on day 1 and earned ₹5.90 crore over the opening weekend.

OTT Streaming Info

The Taj Story, released theatrically on October 31, 2025, has no confirmed OTT release date as of January 22, 2026. It is expected to stream on Zee5 following its cinema run, though industry sources indicate it may premiere sometime in early 2026.

Review

The Taj Story has received predominantly negative reviews from critics, who criticize its shallow arguments, incoherent narrative, factual inaccuracies, and propagandistic tone, labeling it as "flimsy," "unbelievable," and an exercise in gaslighting with half-truths. Ratings from outlets like NDTV (2/5) and Hindustan Times (2/5) highlight loud dialogues, debunked claims, and a lack of conviction, while The Wire calls it incompetent and manipulative.

Audience reactions are polarized: some praise Paresh Rawal's performance and view it as thought-provoking or "evidence-based," with IMDb user scores averaging around 5-8/10 from those appreciating the courtroom drama and "fight for truth," but others dismiss it as boring, poorly acted, and cringe-worthy, with execution flaws like length and confusion. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has fewer than 50 ratings, reflecting limited critical consensus, and social media feedback notes mixed sentiments—strong acting and dialogues for some, dull and confusing for others—often tied to its controversial Hindutva-leaning themes.