Paresh Rawal is a Bollywood actor and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), born to a Gujarati family in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He is known for making controversial statements against Muslims and for supporting films that promote Hindutva propaganda.

In December 2022, Rawal made a controversial statement about Bengalis and Muslims while campaigning for the BJP in Gujarat. 

“Gas cylinders are expensive but they will come down. People will get employment too. But what will happen if Rohingya migrants and Bangladeshis start living around you, like in Delhi? What will you do with gas cylinders? Cook fish for the Bengalis?” Rawal had asked at the campaign. He apologized after his comments went viral.

“Of course, the fish is not the issue as Gujaratis cook and eat fish. But, to be clear, I meant illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingya. However, if I have offended your thoughts and views, I sincerely apologize,” he posted on X.

In October 2025, the controversial Bollywood film “The Taj Story” was released with Rawal as one of the lead actors. The film claims to “uncover” the truth about the Taj Mahal, a historical 17th century tomb built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, alleging it was a 12th century Hindu temple “Tejo Mahalaya.” The poster depicts Rawal’s character removing the dome of the Taj Mahal and a statue of Lord Shiva emerging from it.

Rawal claimed there were no lies and “no Hindu-Muslim controversy” in the film and that the film is based on verified facts, adding that it would boost tourism. However, it has been proven that the monument uses techniques that did not exist prior to the 17th century.

“In our cinema, there is a lot of ‘hanky panky’ and lies here and there. There are no lies, only facts here… When the script came, I read it and I liked it. What I liked about it was the research. Later, I verified the facts with a few friends and found it to be correct that this happened. Then I met the director and we decided that there is no jingoism here, it is all about Taj. People are saying that we want to create a Hindu-Muslim controversy but it is not like that. We have always stayed away from that. It’s fun to do an authentic research film which is usually not made here.” 

In his social media posts, Rawal praises BJP leaders and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and mocks Opposition leaders, apart from promoting his films.