Riteish Deshmukh to direct and star in bilingual film Raja Shivaji

Riteish Deshmukh took to Instagram on Monday to announce his next film as a director and actor, titled Raja Shivaji. Riteish will be essaying the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the biopic based on the life of the warrior king and will also direct the movie. The film will release simultaneously in Marathi and Hindi and will mark his second directorial venture after the Marathi film Ved (2022).

Riteish shared a poster of the film where his silhouette is shown. He wrote a long caption and praised Shivaji. “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not a mere historical figure; he is an emotion, a timeless saga of valor, and a beacon of hope that has illuminated hearts for over three and a half centuries.”

He added, “Our deepest aspiration has always been to immortalize his awe-inspiring journey on the grand canvas of cinema—a journey of epic proportions, depicting the rise of a boy who defied the invincible, sparking the flames of Swarajya.”

Raja Shivaji is produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Genelia Deshmukh. It will be shot by acclaimed cinematographer and director Santosh Sivan with music by Ajay-Atul and will be released in theatres in 2025.