Raja Shivaji the epic historical drama based on the life and legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, directed by Riteish Deshmukh has been made in Hindi and Marathi. Earlier, Riteish had directed the Marathi film Ved. Ajit Wadekar and Sandeep Patil (not to be confused with the cricketers) have collaborated with Riteish Deshmukh to write the story that is based on chapters of history. The film produced by Jio Studios has eight chapters, just like it’s recently released mega blockbuster Dhuranthar that was also based on several chapters.
With grand visuals, intense battle sequences and powerful performances, Raja Shivaji brings to life the untold stories of bravery, sacrifice, and leadership. The film specifically highlights key moments from Shivaji Maharaj’s journey — from his early struggles to becoming one of India’s greatest rulers. Moreover, this cinematic experience is packed with emotion, patriotism and inspiration, making it a must-watch for history lovers and fans of epic Bollywood dramas.
Tribute to our great Maratha Warrior
Shivaji Maharaj is our national hero and Riteish Deshmukh focuses on the emotional aspect of Shivaji Maharaj. The film shows Shivaji’s mother Jijabai, his brother Sambhaji and the family making it a very emotional family film that is made as a tribute to our national hero. The film showcases his courage, intelligence, and strategic brilliance in fighting against powerful enemies to establish Swarajya.
Riteish Deshmukh plays Shivaji Maharaj and acts very well in the title role. Genelia Deshmukh lends dignity to the role of his wife. Though her role is small, she has performed beautifully. Abhishek Bachchan as Sambhaji Raja, Shivaji Maharaj’s elder brother, makes a strong impact.
Many well-known Hindi film actors also appear in both language versions. Sanjay Dutt plays Afzal Khan, the Moghul Empire’s commander. Particularly, the scene where Afzal Khan and Shivaji meet is superbly shot and ultimately when Shivaji Maharaj kills Afzal Khan, it is worth watching!
The climax is a highlight: Salman Khan appears in the film and audiences across Maharashtra and India will cheer for him. In addition, Ajay-Atul’s music is also very good. Regarding rest of the other actors include Fardeen Khan as Jahangir, Boman Irani as Peer Baba look convinging. However the highlight is Salman Khan’s friendly appearance as Jeeva Mahala. Meanwhile, Jitendra Joshi gives fantastic support as Pant Baba. Ashok Samarth shines as Chandra Rao. Amol Gupte adds comic touch as Adil Shah. Finally, Vidya Balan plays Sultan of Bijapur Mohammed Adil Shah’s wife Badi Begum, and her dialogue delivery is very special.
Commendable efforts of Riteish Deshmukh as a director and actor
Riteish Deshmukh scores well as a director. The film is 3 hours 10 minutes long—typical of Jio Studios, though it could have been more concise. The screenplay was contributed by all three writers with additional dialogues by Jaydeep Yadav and Parajakt Deshmukh. Sachin Khedekar plays Shivaji Maharaj’s father with strong presence. Mahesh Manjrekar as Lakhuji Raje also impresses. Ajay-Atul’s music is tremendous. Additionally, Remo D’Souza’s choreography is good. Salman Khan’s star value adds to the film. Abhishek Bachchan has done a sincere rol
The pace of Raja Shivaji is quite slow and since it runs over three hours and the audiences may feel boredom at times. However it is running to packed houses and keeps the audience well engrossed through its narrative. Historical films sometimes feel like documentaries, but Riteish has calculated every scene to excel emotionally. The ending is gripping—when Shivaji Maharaj kills Afzal Khan, you cannot leave the theater.
Watching Raja Shivaji is like a revision of our school studies
Commendable it is on Riteish Deshmukh’s part that apart from acting, has also directed, which is really a difficult task to do simultaneously. Siddharth Yadav, Jitendra Joshi, Genelia Deshmukh, Mahesh Manjrekar and Ashok Samarth all contribute well.
Overall, Raja Shivaji is a well-made film. Across India and all of us have studied about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s story in our school books. Ajay-Atul’s music quite definitely does justice to the story, though it cannot be compared with A.R. Rahman’s music in Chhava. Raja Shivaji has been released in Marathi and Hindi languages. Nevertheless we reviewed the Hindi version for our Filmytown.com readers.
– Review by JYOTHI VENKATESH
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Cast of Raja Shivaji:
Riteish Deshmukh as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Genelia Deshmukh as Saibai
Sanjay Dutt as Afzal Khan
Abhishek Bachchan as Sambhaji Shahaji Bhosale
Vidya Balan as Khadija Sultana
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
Rupesh Bane as Teenage Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Riaan Deshmukh as Young Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Rahyl Deshmukh as Little Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Kimaya Mestry as Young Saibai
Rudra Soni as Young Sambhaji Shahaji Bhosale
Jitendra Joshi as Pant Gopinaath Bokil
Mohit Takalkar as Krishnaji Bhaskar Kulkarni
Ashok Samarth as Kanhoji Jedhe
Suresh Vishwakarma as Chandrarao More
Credits of Raja Shivaji:
Production companies – Mumbai Film Company, Jio Studios
Produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Genelia D’Souza
Directed by Riteish Deshmukh
Written by Ajit Wadekar, Sandeep Patil, Ritesh Deshmukh
Cinematography – Santosh Sivan
Edited by Urvashi Saxena
Music by Ajay-Atul
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