Raja Shivaji first look out: Riteish Deshmukh reflects the spirit of brave Maratha warrior

Riteish Deshmukh has taken on the challenge of telling the tale of the legendary Maratha warrior, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and he has now unveiled the first look which screams 'fierce.'

Riteish Deshmukh turns Raja Shivaji

Raja Shivaji would narrate the tale of young Shivaji Bhonsale, who would grow up to challenge empires while building Maratha kingdom. Shivaji Maharaj lay the groundwork of 'Swarajya (ruled by one of our own),' while challenging the Mughals who had turned powerful in India during his reign. Thus, rose the fierce and passionate warrior we know as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The first look of Raja Shivaji, coloured in saffron (Kesari) captures the spirit of the warrior we know and recognize. Sword in each hand, covered in bruises and letting the saffron flag take precedence over himself is what we recognize Shivaji Maharaj as and thus, full points for bringing the message forth through one image alone.

Stream movies on Shivaji Maharaj like Mee Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoi, Har Har Mahadev, Fatteshikast and more on OTTplay Premium

All you need to know about Raja Shivaji

Starring Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi and Amole Gupte apart from Riteish Deshmukh, the movie would also feature Genelia D'Souza Deshmukh in a pivotal role. Ajay-Atul of Sairat fame have worked on this movie's music. Raja Shivaji, shot across parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, is a pan-India film and would be out in Marathi, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam too. The movie is scheduled for May 1, 2026 release in theatres.

Riteish Deshmukh's upcoming movies

The announcement for Raja Shivaji comes hours after Grand Masti 4's female lead is confirmed. The Milap Zaveri directorial features Aftab Shivdasani and Vivek Oberoi as the male leads alongside Riteish Deshmukh.

Meanwhile, Riteish is expected to resume shooting for Welcome To The Jungle soon. The movie might be the last collaboration for Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal, now that Rawal has made an exit from Priyadarshan's Hera Pheri 3.

Which Riteish Deshmukh film are you most excited for? Do let us know!