February marks the glorious month of Shivaji Maharaj's birth and how he was destined to change the course of Indian history. The
courageous warrior defeated the Mughals to establish Hindu Swaraj in India. While India continues to celebrate his glory, actor Riteish Deshmukh has a treat for all his fans on the occasion of Shivaji Jayanti.
Many Indian actors have portrayed the
role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj when it comes to Hindi and regional cinema. A new addition to the list is Riteish Deshmukh. After Ved, the actor will now be directing and playing the role of the legendary warrior in Shivaji Maharaj's biopic.
For the unknown, Ved, which starred Riteish and Genelia D'Souza, became one of the highest-grossing Marathi films of 2022 and went on to collect about 75 crores.
Riteish Deshmukh to play Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
On Monday, he unveiled the poster for Shivaji Jayanti 2024 and shared the exciting news. Riteish's next directorial is titled Raja Shivaji. This upcoming magnum opus will see a bilingual release in Marathi and Hindi.
It will be jointly produced by Jio Studios and the Mumbai Film Company.
Riteish Deshmukh took to Instagram and unveiled the poster for his upcoming movie in a rather dramatic video.
Sharing the clip,
the Ek Villain actor wrote, "In the annals of history, there emerges a figure who transcends mere mortal existencemdasha legend, an icon, an eternal flame of inspiration. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not a mere historical figure he is an emotion, a timeless saga of valor, and a beacon of hope that has illuminated hearts for over three and a half centuries."
More about Raja Shivaji
A source close to the film revealed how Raja Shivaji is the actor-director's passion project and gave insights on further developments.
'This is not just a film but an emotion for Riteish Deshmukh, and he has decided to invest all his energies towards bringing this passion project on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to life. Riteish will not just be directing the film but will also play the titular part of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The basic pre-production work has been concluded, and Riteish is now looking to take the film to floors soon,' added the source.
Also Read: 6 Romantic Films Starring Riteish Deshmukh And Genelia D'SouzaApart from Riteish, no other cast members have been revealed. Other details, like the storyline and release date of Raja Shivaji, have also been kept under wraps.
'It's a legacy film, and Riteish is well aware of the expectations. He will be leaving no stone unturned to bring forward the most authentic film on the life of the legendary Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,' the source further mentioned.
