‘Creating a film on Maharaj is beyond my capability. I believe that even if the world’s finest directors collaborated, no single film could ever truly do justice to our Maharaj.

Positioned as a star-studded Marathi epic, the trailer launch of Raja Shivaji carried a rare sense of scale and ambition for the industry.

Abhishek Bachchan acknowledged this on stage, noting he had never before witnessed a Marathi film mounted on such a grand magnitude.

The ensemble cast, a glittering mix of celebrated names from Hindi and Marathi cinema, is led by Riteish Deshmukh, who also directs the film and takes on the formidable role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Riteish said he long harboured the dream of making a film on Shivaji Maharaj, though the journey came with its share of challenges and delays. He revealed that he had been nurturing this vision since 2016, revisiting it again in 2019, before finally bringing it to life in 2023, when he began work on his ambitious project.

At the trailer launch, an emotional Riteish was moved to tears as he remarked that one cannot simply make a film on Shivaji, reflecting on the immense weight of responsibility that comes with portraying such a revered historical figure.

“Creating a film on Maharaj is beyond my capability,” Riteish said. “I believe that even if the finest directors in the world came together, no single film could ever truly do justice to our Maharaj. His legacy and memories are far, far greater than our achievements. All we can do is to put in honest effort.”

At this point, Riteish’s words visibly moved his wife, Genelia, to tears.                                                                                                     ‘Riteish Is Like My Younger Brother’

The event began with the trailer being showcased first in Marathi, drawing loud applause from the audience.

This was followed by the Hindi version, which also had bits of Marathi, while retaining the same intensity and grandeur. The dual-language presentation highlighted the makers’ intent to take the legacy of Shivaji Maharaj to a wider audience.

The preview showcases the ferocity of Shivaji Maharaj-led Maratha forces as they rise against the Mughals and the Bijapur sultanate. It also offers a glimpse of Sanjay Dutt as Afzal Khan, promising an action packed showdown.

Sanju Baba joked that he is nothing like his villainous character and said he agreed to the film because of his long standing bond with Riteish. Having previously worked together in films like Dhamaal and Housefull 5, the two also share a close family friendship, with their late fathers Sunil Dutt and Vilasrao Deshmukh having been colleagues in the Indian National Congress.

“Riteish is like my younger brother. So whatever he says is set in stone for me,” Sanjay said.

Abhishek Bachchan, who plays Shivaji’s elder brother Sambhaji Shahji Bhonsle in the film, said that Riteish is like a brother to him and described Raja Shivaji as “a matter of pride”. When asked how long he took to say yes to the film, he added, “Like Sanju sir said, Riteish is like a younger brother. He just has to ask, and we will all show up. That’s a testimony for the kind of person he is and what he means to us.”

Adding to the star power, Vidya Balan’s presence as the vicious Badi Begum was met with great excitement. She shared that from the moment she learned Riteish was making a Marathi film on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, she had been eagerly waiting for her Heyy Babyy co-star to offer her a role.

“I was thinking that Sanju (Sanjay Dutt) is doing it, Abhishek (Bachchan) is doing it. Why didn’t Ritesh come to me?” Then I thought that maybe there won’t be any role for me, or maybe he doesn’t like me as an actor,” Vidya said with her infectious smile.

“Then he came (with the script). I had decided that I would do it. But he came and narrated the story to me. And I was listening very carefully. I told him that I would think about it and tell you. Because I didn’t want to express too much excitement.”                                          ‘I Feel So Proud Of You’

Genelia, who portrays Maharaj’s wife Sai Bhonsale in the film, lit up the event with her unmistakable charm.

When asked how she managed to balance the demanding dual roles of producer and actor, she playfully responded in Marathi, “Navra changla ahe na (my husband is lovely).”

Boman Irani, who =made his directorial debut last year with The Mehta Boys, expressed deep admiration for Riteish’s vision for Raja Shivaji, calling the film a “spectacle”.

“I made a small film with great difficulty, and then I see this where every shot, every exchange is just incredible. I feel so proud of you,” Bomnan told Riteish.

Raja Shivaji also features Fardeen Khan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Bhagyashree, Sachin Khedekar, Amole Gupte, Siddharth Jadhav and Jitendra Joshi.

The film releases in Marathi, Hindi and Telugu on May 1.