Chhaava’s fiction fuels real frenzy: Hundreds dig Asirgarh fort for hidden treasure

K K Jha
Indore : Driven by a cinematic fantasy that blurred the lines between fiction and reality, hundreds of villagers stormed the historic Asirgarh Fort in Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur district on Friday night, convinced they were on the brink of uncovering Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s long-lost treasure. Inspired by the Bollywood film Chhaava, which depicted the Mughals looting Maratha wealth and concealing it beneath the fort, the villagers descended upon the site in a frenzied treasure hunt, armed with shovels, metal detectors, and flashlights.
The bizarre episode saw men, women, and even elderly residents digging feverishly across the fort’s premises, hoping to strike gold. Video footage of the incident, now viral on social media, shows desperate villagers sifting through soil in search of the mythical treasure.
In their fervor, the crowd dug over 100 holes around the fort. The late-night chaos came to an abrupt halt when local police, alerted about the unlawful excavation, reached the scene. On spotting the police, the villagers abandoned their tools and fled.
Authorities have since launched an investigation to assess the damage inflicted on the centuries-old heritage site. Officials have urged citizens not to fall prey to fictional narratives and stressed the need to protect India’s historical monuments.
The viral video has sparked a flurry of reactions online, with social media users branding the incident ‘bizarre,’ ‘desperate,’ and ‘unbelievable.’ The incident highlights the powerful influence of cinema and underscores the urgent need for public awareness regarding the preservation of cultural heritage.