The Jio Studios of India and the Mumbai Film Company planted their flag The Maharashtra Day 2026, revealing a global deployment for the historic action “Raja Shivaji” on May 1 of the same year.
The film, led by Riteish Deshmukh (which also plays in the titular role), will simultaneously embark on marathi, Hindi, Tamoul, Tamoulou, Kannada and Malayalam, positioning the history of one of India’s most famous warriors for the local and international public.
“Raja Shivaji” tells the rise of the rise of the young Shivaji Bhonsale, who challenged the power of the established empires to find the kingdom of Maratha and lay the foundations of “Swarajya” (autonomous) during a turbulent period of Indian history.
The casting brings together truck talents covering the cinematographic industries in Hindi and Marathi, with Sanjay Dutt, Ahishek Bachchan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashre, La Fardeen Khan, Jeitra Joshi and Amole Gupte joining the entrance. Genelia Deshmukh, who is also a producer under the banner of the Mumbai films company, completes the starred distribution.
Behind the camera, the production celebrated the Musical Directors Ajay – ATUL managing the score and the director of veteran photography Santosh Sivan making its debut in the Marathi cinema. The main photography is currently underway in places in Mumbai and Wai, Maharashtra.
“‘Raja Shivaji’ is more than a simple film – it’s a celebration of Swarajya and what it means for each Indian,” said Jyoti Deshpande, president of Jio Studios. “This vision could only be returned by someone who is close to the story that is close to heart, and Riteish, with Genelia, did exactly that with passion and objective. Our goal is to bring back the impressive life of Shivaji Maharaj, one of the greatest heroes to be born on Indian soil in India in the world. We have undertaken. »»
Shivaji (1630-1680), originally from the Hindu religion, founded the Maratha Empire when most of India was under the reign of Muslim monarchs, winning its territories using a mixture of military movements and strategic. At a time when Emperor Moghul Aurangzeb persecuted the Hindus, the community rallied by Shivaji, who was crowned Chhatrapati (monarch). During the independence movement of India, Shivaji was held in high esteem as a Hindu nationalist hero, a position he enjoys to date.
Deshmukh, who made his debut as a director and also played in 2022 blockbuster “VED”, said: “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not only a historic figure – it is an emotion that lives in the hearts of millions of people.
The popularity of Shivaji can be measured by the fact that the stories of him and his associates have been told in India more than 60 times in cinema and television, starting with “Sinhagad” (1923). The next historic drama of Sandeep Sanding “The Pride of Bharat: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj”, with Rishab Shetty as Shivaji, is also underway and due to an outing in 2027. “Chhaava”, with Vicky Kaushal as the legendary warrior king Maratha Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, is the great success of India in 2025 so far.
The date of strategic release of the Maharashtra day has a particular meaning, because the holidays commemorates the formation of the State where the inheritance of Shivaji remains deeply influential.
Producer Genelia Deshmukh described production as “love work – a journey shaped by years of thought, research and reverence”, stressing their commitment to honor the historical figure “which continues to inspire generations”.
The film is jointly produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Genelia Deshmukh.
