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'Raja Shivaji': Riteish reveals how Abhishek came on board
09 May 2026

Riteish Deshmukh's directorial venture, Raja Shivaji, has taken Marathi cinema by storm.

The film features an ensemble cast including Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Vidya Balan.

In a recent interview with News18, Deshmukh revealed that Bachchan was his first choice for the role of Sambhaji Shahaji Bhosale.

However, he was initially hesitant about approaching him.

Here's why.

'We can't just go to him': Deshmukh's first thought
Casting concerns

Deshmukh shared, "Abhishek was the first person I approached. I remember sitting with Genelia when she suggested his name. But I told her, 'This is a Marathi film, and we can't just go to him.' She kept saying, 'Why not?'"

Despite his initial reservations, Deshmukh eventually reached out to Bachchan, who immediately agreed to be part of Raja Shivaji without even hearing the script.

Bachchan was instantly drawn to the film
Unconditional support

Deshmukh recalled the moment he approached Bachchan, saying, "I called Abhishek up, and he told me to go over to this place. I had green tea, and I told him that I'm making a film. He said, 'Great!' Even before I could finish my sentence and say that I went to him for a role, he said he's doing it."

The director also revealed that Bachchan didn't ask any questions about the role at first.

Genelia encouraged me to tell Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's story: Deshmukh
Creative push

Deshmukh also credited his wife, actor Genelia Deshmukh, for encouraging him to tell the story of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

He said she suggested he start writing the script first.

"The writing took about a year or maybe a little over a year. Eventually, I started feeling confident about the material we were working on," he added.

Two prominent Marathi directors were initially associated with the project
Production challenges

The film may have hit theaters this month, but its journey started a decade ago.

Deshmukh revealed that two prominent Marathi directors were initially associated with the script before it came to him.

He shared, "In 2016, this film was announced with Ravi Jadhav... Unfortunately, things didn't work out and the plan to make it fizzled out."

The project then moved on to director Nagaraj Manjule in 2019 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.