Raja Shivaji is a grand historical drama about the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It had hit theatres on May 1, 2026, on Maharashtra Day.
The Story Behind the Legend
This movie focuses on the powerful ruler of Maharashtra, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, his courage, vision and founding of Swarajya (Self Rule) in India. He takes an oath to free his people from the oppressive foreign rulers.
The Bijapur Sultanate was a mighty empire at the time that ruled much of the land, and they didn't want Shivaji Maharaj to start his own independent kingdom because he began his self-rule by capturing forts belonging to the Bijapur Sultanate, such as Torna Fort. The leader of this dynasty, Badi Begum, saw Shivaji as a threat and sent Afzal Khan to kill Shivaji, but Shivaji ultimately defeated him.
This film shows how a young, courageous leader built his own kingdom despite many threats.
The Star-Studded Cast Of This Film
Riteish Deshmukh as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Genelia Deshmukh as Saibai
Sanjay Dutt as Afzal Khan
Abhishek Bachchan as Sambhaji Shahaji Bhosale
Vidya Balan as Badi Begum
Mahesh Manjrekar as Lakhuji Jadhav
Fardeen Khan as Shah Jahan
Bhagyashree as Jijabai
Sachin Khedekar as Shahaji Bhosale
Amole Gupte as Mohammed Adil Shah
Boman Irani as Peer Baba
Jitendra Joshi as Pant
Siddharth Jadhav
Suresh Vishwakarma
Kapil Honrao, one of the Mavalas (soldiers)
Salman Khan as Jiva Mahala (special appearance)
Mohit Takalkar as Krishnaji Bhaskar Kulkarni
Reviews Of The Film
The Audience really liked the film's pace; they stated that all the actors gave strong performances.
A fan tweeted in his X account saying that "Riteish Deshmukh has achieved the impossible, his portrayal as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaji was on top"
The war scenes in the movie are said to be the highlight, and this is the first time the Marathi film industry has witnessed this level of realism and gripping visuals.
This is not only an action-packed drama but also an emotional story and sticks true to the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
All the actors have done a very good job throughout the movie. On top of that, Sanjay Dutt and Abishek Bhachan have pulled their characters so easily, and the cameo of Salman Khan was pure goosebumps.
Controversies Of The Film
In the trailer, there was a scene where Raja Shivaji openly showed his tiger-claw weapon to Afzal Khan. Still, viewers criticised it, saying the weapon was kept hidden until it was used to avoid alerting the enemy.
In late April 2026, the Sree Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Foundation filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court seeking the inclusion of the title 'Chhatrapati' in the film's title to respect the leader's legacy.
And the crew members came up with the statement: "The film is about Shivaji's life before his coronation as Chhatrapati."
The film received comments from Bageshwar Baba (Dhirendra Shastri), who said that the way the life of Shivaji was portrayed in the movie was a "distorted nonsense"
In response to all these controversies, Riteish Deshmukh concluded, telling people to watch the film first and not to reach a conclusion from the trailer alone.
Film Stars Who Attended The Screening Of The Film
The contestants from the Bigg Boss Marathi season 6, hosted by Riteish Deshmukh, included Rakhi Sawant, winner Tanvi Kolte, Reva Kaurase, Ayush Sanjeev, Omkar Raut, and Sanket Pathak. Rakhi Sawant also urged people to watch this incredible movie in theatres and was seen clicking pictures with the movie's team.
Several Bollywood actors, including the film's cast, were also seen attending the film's first premiere and rooting for it.
