Riteish Deshmukh on Raja Shivaji: ‘Relieved that his descendants liked the film’

Riteish Deshmukh in ‘Raja Shivaji’

Don't expect anything from your Friday release. That's one lesson Riteish Deshmukh has learnt in his career. Luckily, the first Friday of May surprised him. Raja Shivaji, directed and led by the actor, opened on a strong note on May 1, and by the end of the first week, the domestic collection of the Marathi and Hindi versions crossed the R50 crore mark. "More than anything, I am feeling relieved because I've been living with this dream for the past 10 years. We worked on the film for the last three-and-a-half years," began Deshmukh, who also served as a co-writer.

The cherry on top came when Yuvraj Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati, the 13th direct descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, praised the biopic after watching it at a special screening in Kolhapur. "There is a lot of responsibility in making a historical drama. So, when the descendants like the film, you feel relieved that you dealt with the subject with utmost dignity and respect," said the actor.

Riteish Deshmukh made his directorial debut in 2022 with ‘Ved'

Making a biopic on the Maratha warrior king wasn't easy. Deshmukh knew translating his decade-long vision would be a big commitment. Decoding the process, he said, "Apart from Ketan Puri, we got more historians on board to understand their perspectives. The most challenging part was writing the script, which took two years."

Then it was time to helm the ambitious biopic. Through it all, his biggest support system was actor and his wife Genelia Deshmukh, who doubled up as a producer. "When I am directing, the idea is to ensure I have only that on my plate and not production. Genelia did the major heavy-lifting on ground. She is a better producer than me."

Genelia Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Vidya Balan and Abhishek Bachchan. Pics/Instagram, Youtube

Led by Riteish Deshmukh, ‘Raja Shivaji' has a strong cast that includes Genelia Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Vidya Balan, Abhishek Bachchan, and more. The actor-director said, "Each actor was my first choice, and they all agreed to come on board."

Did you know?

‘Raja Shivaji' is the first Marathi film to earn R50 crore within its opening week