4 min readMumbaiJul 22, 2026 01:22 PM IST
When the teaser of Neeraj Yadav’s upcoming political action film Chauhaan was dropped online last month, it invited the ire of several sections of the internet. The Ajay Devgn-starrer allegedly targeted the “stone-pelting Pathaans” of Kashmir, sparking criticism from not only the Kashmiri community, but also the Kshatriya Parishad, which distanced themselves from the politicization of their well-known last name.
Zeeshan Ayyub’s voiceover removed
Several sections of the internet also wondered why not only Devgn, but also actor Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub lent their voice to the film. Zeeshan’s voiceover can be heard in the announcement teaser. However, the actor took took to his X handle on Wednesday to clear the air on why his voice was used in the teaser and how it’s been removed now after “strong objection” by him to the makers.
“Few weeks back, a film teaser released with the opening line in my voice. I wish to put on record that I am not part of the film in any capacity. I was asked to dub a line without any reference a few months back. I did that in good faith without asking for more as I knew the makers personally,” revealed Zeeshan.
Chauhaan is co-produced by Jyoti Deshpande-led Jio Studios and Aanand L Rai’s Colour Yellow Productions. Zeeshan has previously starred in Rai’s 2013 romantic drama Raanjhanaa, and also had a cameo in his hit romance last year, Tere Ishk Mein. “As soon as the teaser was released and I saw the context in which it was (mis)used, I asked the filmmakers to remove my voice from the teaser as I have nothing to do with the film,” added Zeeshan.
“After my strong objection, the makers removed my voice from the teaser fifteen days ago,” he confirmed. Zeeshan’s voice has indeed been replaced in the announcement teaser available online now. The actor added that he’s an “artist who would never be a part of any such project”. He also urged the attention to be brought to the ongoing student protests across the country.
“Our entire attention should be on the present situation of the country where our young relentless students are on the streets putting up a brave fight. Kudos to their inspiring spirit. JAI HIND, JAI SAMVIDHAN,” he concluded, referring to the ongoing protests against the leaking of the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) papers.
What’s in the Chauhaan teaser?
The announcement teaser Chauahaan was unveiled on June 25, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Ajay Devgn’s father and late, legendary action director Veeru Devgan. It shows the unfortunate events that transpired in Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir in 2018. Devgn, who plays the titular character, says in the voiceover about killing 30 protesters.
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“It wasn’t our mistake. There were orders from the above,” said Devgn. He claimed that the authorities had no other resort to deal with stone-pelting protesters since masks are easily available online to combat tear gas bombs, pellet guns can only shell out “limited damage”, and water canons serve only as a “temporary solution”.
“Seventy-five years (of Independence), 75 lakh soldiers, and Rs 35,000 crore worth investment, but there’s no solution yet,” said Devgn. Protesters are even seen delivering provocative speeches and holding Pakistan flags. Devgn then makes a heroic entry, adding, “Pathaanon se kehna Chauhaan aa raha hai,” as he throws away his gun and gears up to tackle the charging crowds bare-handed.
Even Zeeshan’s Raanjhanaa co-star Swara Bhaskar slammed the Chauhaan teaser on social media, dubbing it as “the Vivek Agnihotri-fication of Bollywood.” Agnihotri is best known for directing polarizing films like The Kashmir Files (2022) and The Bengal Files last year. Chauhaan is slated to release in cinemas on October 1 next year.
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Filmmaker Onir also recently claimed that one of his recent films wasn’t cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) because a character in Kashmir casually threw a stone. However, he claimed that Chauhaan won’t face similar obstructions as it’ll be readily cleared for release despite its rather contentious themes.
