Chhaava director Laxman Utekar opened up on casting Rashmika Mandanna in the historical drama and said that he found ‘her eyes so pure’. The Vicky Kaushal headliner is based on the life of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and also stars Akshaye Khanna as Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Rashmika essays the role of Yesubai, Sambhaji’s wife.

At the trailer launch of the film, when Laxman was asked how he thought of casting a South Indian actor for the role of a Marathi queen, he said, “In 2021, even before I began writing the script, I told Dinesh sir (the producer) that I want to do this film with Vicky and Rashmika. Dinesh’s first reaction was, ‘Rashmika? She’s South Indian. How will she play a Marathi maharani?’. My reply was, ‘Her eyes are so pure that she suits the role quite well.”

The film also stars Ashutosh Rana, Divya Dutta, Vineet Kumar Singh, Diana Penty, and Santosh Juvekar in pivotal roles. Produced by Dinesh Vijan, it is set to be released in theatres on February 14.