‘Paid Tax For Being Hindu’: Pawan Kalyan Slams Mughal Glorification In Textbooks; Also Calls To Bring Back Kohinoor

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and actor Pawan Kalyan has sparked a fresh debate over historical narratives taught in Indian schools, questioning the glorification of Mughal emperors like Akbar and Aurangzeb in textbooks while native rulers and freedom fighters remain underrepresented.

On the cinematic front, Hari Hara Veera Mallu, which has been in production for nearly five years, is set against the backdrop of the Mughal era. Kalyan said the film prioritises historical accuracy over commercial success. Further, he said that they debated on this script for a long time and didn’t think about how much money it would make as they just wanted to do justice to history.

'Mughals Were Glorified': Pawan Kalyan

Speaking at a press event in Hyderabad for his long-awaited historical film Hari Hara Veera Mallu, Kalyan emphasised the need to reassess how Indian history is taught to students."This film, we started around 4-5 years back... This particular film was interesting for me because it is based on more of a Mughal era, and as a kid, when we used to study in school, Mughals were quite glorified, and the rest of the dynasties were never glorified. So for me, that was very interesting," he said, reported ANI.

The actor-politician voiced strong disapproval of how rulers like Aurangzeb are portrayed, alleging that Aurangzeb killed his own brother and imposed taxes on Hindus simply for following their faith, as per a report on India Today. 

Kalyan also called for the return of the Kohinoor diamond, echoing nationalist sentiment. "The Kohinoor should definitely be brought back to India. I personally feel it belongs to our nation, it is the property of Bharat. That is our heart and soul, that is our Ratnagarbha. I think it should be brought back," he told PTI.

Kalyan's remarks have triggered strong reactions across political and academic circles. 

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