HYDERABAD: Terming actor Balakrishna’s latest flick Gautamiputra Satakarni purely a commercial movie exploiting Telangana sentiment rather than a factually correct historical movie deserving tax exemption, a city-based historian pointed out several historical flaws in the movie to justify his claim.
Wondering the Telangana connect of the movie, Captain L Pandu Ranga Reddy, a member of the The Royal Historical Society, London and head of Voice of Telangana, pointed out is that there is no record of Satakarni being born in Telangana and that the inscriptions of his mother Gautami Balasri were actually found in the present day Nasik, Maharashtra.
Speaking to media, he said that Satavahanas were rulers whose seat of power was in Maharashtra, until Satakarni’s son Pulamavi was beaten badly by Saka king, Rudraraman and was forced to move to Amavarati in present day Andhra Pradesh. Referring to the touted image of Balakrishna on saddled horse, he stated that usage of stirrups in horse saddle was not prevalent in India during Satakarni’s rule around 78 AD and that stirrups came into usage in the country only after around 1,000 years when Muslim rulers invaded India. He corroborated his claims by showing ancient images showing Indians on horses and elephants without a saddle.
A factual error pointed out by Capt Reddy was that the movie shows Gautamiputra Satakarni winning battle against Greek emperor, Demetrius. However, as per records Demetrius was alive in around 312 BC, about 400 years before Satakarni was alive.
Capt Reddy also pointed out reading from a history book published by Government of India that the start of Saka era is credited to the Saka dynasty and not to Satakarni as shown in the movie and that Satakarni’s empire never extended either to north of India or to south towards present day Kerala or Tamil Nadu of which no records of which exist.
Dr Chiranjeevi Kolluri, President of Hyderabad Deccan Democratic Alliance, criticised the way entertainment tax exemption has been provided to the movie without analysing the film for its genuineness.
He also said that if the government does not roll back the exemption he will approach court and challenge the claim of a historical movie. In AP, a court case has already been filed against tax exemption for the movie.