Actor Riteish Deshmukh is all set to portray the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on the big screen in his upcoming film, Raja Shivaji, and he unveiled his first look from the film on Wednesday. The film also stars Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, and others in key roles.
Interestingly, Raja Shivaji is being directed by Riteish himself. On Wednesday, Riteish, dropped the first motion poster of the film, which also gave a glimpse of his fierce look. "Presenting a cinematic tribute to the great mighty Rajadhiraj Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (sic)," he wrote in Marathi.
In the poster, Riteish can be seen standing in the middle of a blazing battlefield as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, with swords in both his hands and completely drenched in blood.
The details of the film had been kept tightly under the wraps, and it was only on Tuesday that the makers revealed Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Bhagyashree, Mahesh Manjrekar, Fardeen Khan, Sachin Khedekar, and Genelia D'Souza will also be a part of the film.
Sharing the poster of the film, Abhishek wrote, "Privileged and honored to present a cinematic tribute to India’s legendary warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj! (sic)."
Raja Shivaji is all set to hit the silver screens on May 1, 2026, on the occasion of Maharashtra Day. The music of the bilingual film has been composed by renowned duo Ajay-Atul.
While the shoot of Raja Shivaji had commenced a few months ago, it had to be abruptly stopped in April after a dancer drowned in a river in Maharashtra's Satara during the shoot. The 26-year-old dancer, identified as Saurabh Sharma, reportedly lost his life after he went to take a dip in the river while the team was shooting in Mahuli village but was swept away by the strong currents.
The shoot resumed after local police completed the investigation, and at present, it is going on in full swing.
