Riteish Deshmukh To Play Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj In His Directorial Next; Here's What We Know

In 2022, Riteish Deshmukh directed the Marathi hit “Ved,” starring himself and his wife Genelia, which became one of the highest-grossing Marathi films. The film was directed by Riteish, in his directorial debut, and produced by Genelia, both of whom also starred along with Jiya Shankar, marking her debut in Marathi films.

“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 on floors soon,” revealed a source close to the development to the entertainment portal.

The film will be bilingual, in Marathi and Hindi, and produced by Jio Studios in partnership with Mumbai Film Company. “The National Award Winning Cinematographer, Santosh Sivan will be making his debut in Marathi Cinema with this film, which is being planned as the most ambitious in the film industry. The music is composed by the reliable duo of Ajay Atul,” the source added.

The cast members besides Riteish are currently kept secret, with announcements planned later. Riteish has begun preparing for his role as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja “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 concluded.

Riteish Deshmukh, known for his versatile performances, has graced the silver screen with memorable roles in films like Masti, Ek Villain, Dhamaal and the Housefull series, among others. Fans can anticipate his appearance in upcoming projects such as Kauda, Visfot and Raid 2.