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'We love to judge': Abhishek defends 'Raja Shivaji' VFX
09 May 2026

Abhishek Bachchan, who plays Sambhaji Shahaji Bhosale in Riteish Deshmukh's Raja Shivaji, has defended the film's VFX after it received mixed reactions.

Speaking to News18, he said that "VFX is a very fine art" and the quality improves with more time and money.

He emphasized that Deshmukh and his wife, actor-producer Genelia Deshmukh, made the film on a "very tight budget."

Studios don't give ₹1,000cr budget for VFX: Bachchan
Budget limitations

Bachchan noted that studios don't provide a ₹1,000 crore budget for VFX because of market conditions.

He said, "A film that has a budget of ₹1,000 crore for VFX as opposed to a film that has a much smaller budget will look different."

"We love to judge but we've to understand how the system works."

Comparing Indian films' VFX with Hollywood is futile: Bachchan
Industry comparison

Bachchan said it was futile to compare the VFX of an Indian film with that of Hollywood.

He revealed that Hollywood films spend over ₹5,000 crore just on VFX, which is not feasible for Indian films.

"Riteish had to take a call as a producer and, more importantly, as a director, how much time could he give it. If you give us 10 years, we'll give you a brilliant product, but we don't have that much time."

This is how Bachchan praised Deshmukh
Film appreciation

Bachchan further lauded Deshmukh's vision and storytelling in Raja Shivaji.

He said, "At the end of the day, it's about telling a story, and this film is an emotional story."

"All of this will get forgotten, but when we talk about it, we've to understand if the film could've afforded it. We've to ask if they've managed to achieve what they had set out for and if they've conveyed the story, and the answer is yes."

'Raja Shivaji' at the box office
Box office performance

Despite the mixed reactions, Raja Shivaji has reportedly become the fourth Marathi film to cross the ₹60 crore mark after Sairat, Ved, and Baipan Bhari Deva.

The film, which was released on May 1, also stars Salman Khan, Vidya Balan, and Sanjay Dutt.

It is produced by Jio Studios and Mumbai Film Company.