PremiumRiteish Deshmukh set to direct the epic Raja Shivaji on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, will play the titular role
Riteish Deshmukh continues his directorial journey by announcing Raja Shivaji on Shiv Jayanti.
Last Updated: 11.25 AM, Feb 19, 2024
Riteish Deshmukh will direct Raja Shivaji, his second feature film after the smash hit Ved (2022). The actor-filmmaker exclaimed with delight to the Hindustan Times that today, as people celebrate Shiv Jayanti, this is the perfect time to announce Raja Shivaji, based on the life of Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The announcement was made in honour of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti.
Production details
His production company, Mumbai Film Company (MFC), would be working with Jio Studios to produce the film. Two languages, Marathi and Hindi, in which the film will be released. When one wishes to film an oversized figure, a specific scale is required. Jyoti Deshpande (CEO of Viacom 18) and Jio Studios have a history of supporting bold films, and they are happy to work with them.
Riteish went on to say that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's stories have been heard by everyone in and outside Maharashtra, teaching people to stand against injustice. This desire to work on a film about an iconic historical figure came a long time ago.
Genelia Deshmukh's role
The overwhelming love of audiences for Ved motivated Riteish to create films that he felt strongly about. The actor says that their mission in the last decade has been to create new and fresh content in MFC, praising his wife, Genelia Deshmukh, for being the inspiration. For the work on Raja Shivaji, there is no one else he can trust. Genelia, the film's producer, is indispensable in the planning process, and Riteish trusts her completely in his role as director.
The actor-filmmaker is looking forward to the return of the Ajay-Atul duo, who are the music directors. He asserts that no one else is better than them when discussing the sound of Maharashtra and the ability to make local music sound global. When they talk about Raja Shivaji, they want it to be a beautiful-looking film, and for that, there's no one better than Santosh Sivan to weave cinematographic magic on celluloid, he says, expressing his enthusiasm at the cinematographer's arrival. This is an incredible privilege, and he is grateful to Genelia for securing Sivan's role in the film.