Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has lauded Riteish Deshmukh’s historical drama Raja Shivaji, which hit theatres on May 1 and has witnessed a strong opening at the domestic box office. The film collected Rs 11.35 crore on its first day, with a better response seen in the Marathi version.
Written, directed, and headlined by Riteish, the film has drawn praise from Varma, who appreciated both its box office performance and Riteish’s efforts as an actor and filmmaker.
Ram Gopal Varma praises Riteish Deshmukh's Raja Shivaji
Taking to X, Ram Gopal Varma also congratulated Genelia Deshmukh, who has produced the film alongside Jyoti Deshpande. He wrote, "Hey @geneliad, congrats on the way your #RajaShivaji is both slashing and smashing the box office."
Praising Riteish Deshmukh's acting and direction, Varma said he is creating "mayhem" in theatres and added that he "literally looks like Shivaji Maharaj reincarnated."
Raja Shivaji movie box office collection
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Raja Shivaji collected a net of Rs 11.35 crore across 6,192 shows on its first day. This brings the film’s total India gross collections to Rs 13.51 crore and total India net collections to Rs 11.35 crore so far.
The historical period drama Raja Shivaji marks the second directorial project of Riteish Deshmukh. He made his directorial debut in 2022 with the Marathi film Ved, which features Genelia Deshmukh and Jiya Shankar.
Raja Shivaji: Cast details
Raja Shivaji, which is based on the life of the founder of the Maratha Empire, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, features a star-studded cast with Riteish Deshmukh playing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Sanjay Dutt appears as Afzal Khan, while Salman Khan plays cameo role of Jeeva Mahala. Abhishek Bachchan is seen as Sambhaji Shahaji Bhonsale, and Vidya Balan portrays Badi Begum.
Genelia Deshmukh plays Saibai, Mahesh Manjrekar appears as Lakhujirao Jadhav, and Boman Irani takes on the role of Peer Baba. Bhagyashree Patwardhan is seen as Jijabai, Jitendra Joshi as Pant, Fardeen Khan as Shah Jahan, Sachin Khedekar as Shahaji Raje Bhosale, Amole Gupte as Adilshah in a key role.
