India’s Jio Studios and Mumbai Movie Firm have planted their flag on Maharashtra Day 2026, revealing a worldwide rollout for historic motion epic “Raja Shivaji” on Might 1 of that yr.

The movie, helmed by Riteish Deshmukh (who additionally stars within the titular function), will concurrently launch within the Marathi, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam languages, positioning the story of one in every of India’s most celebrated warriors for each native and worldwide audiences.

“Raja Shivaji” chronicles the rise of younger Shivaji Bhonsale, who challenged the would possibly of established empires to discovered the Maratha kingdom and lay the groundwork for “Swarajya” (self-rule) throughout a turbulent interval of Indian historical past.

The solid brings collectively heavyweight expertise spanning each the Hindi and Marathi-language movie industries, with Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, and Amole Gupte becoming a member of the ensemble. Genelia Deshmukh, who additionally serves as producer below the Mumbai Movie Firm banner, rounds out the star-studded solid.

Behind the digital camera, the manufacturing has celebrated music administrators Ajay–Atul dealing with the rating and veteran cinematographer Santosh Sivan making his Marathi cinema debut. Principal images is at present underway throughout places in Mumbai and Wai, Maharashtra.

“‘Raja Shivaji’ is greater than only a movie — it’s a celebration of Swarajya and what which means to each Indian,” mentioned Jyoti Deshpande, president of Jio Studios. “This imaginative and prescient might solely be dropped at life by somebody who holds the story near his coronary heart, and Riteish, together with Genelia, has finished simply that with ardour and function. Our objective is to deliver the awe-inspiring lifetime of Shivaji Maharaj, one of many biggest heroes to be born on the Indian soil, from India to the world. Backed by an ensemble of a number of the best skills from throughout industries, this movie is among the most formidable ventures we’ve undertaken.”

Shivaji (1630-1680), who hailed from the Hindu faith, based the Maratha empire when most of India was below the rule of Muslim monarchs, profitable his territories utilizing a mix of army strikes and strategic nous. At a time when the Moghul emperor Aurangzeb was persecuting Hindus, the group rallied by Shivaji, who was topped as Chhatrapati (monarch). Throughout India’s independence motion, Shivaji was held in excessive esteem as a Hindu nationalist hero, a place he enjoys to at the present time.

Deshmukh, who debuted as a director and in addition starred in 2022 blockbuster “Ved,” mentioned, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj isn’t just a historic determine — he’s an emotion that lives within the hearts of hundreds of thousands. To have the ability to inform part of his extraordinary story is each an honor and an incredible accountability.”

The recognition of Shivaji might be measured by the truth that the tales of him and his associates have been informed in India greater than 60 instances throughout movie and tv, starting with “Sinhagad” (1923).  Sandeep Singh‘s upcoming historic drama “The Pleasure of Bharat: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” starring Rishab Shetty as Shivaji, can be underway and due a 2027 launch. “Chhaava,” starring Vicky Kaushal because the legendary Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Shivaji’s son, is India’s greatest hit of 2025 thus far.

The strategic Maharashtra Day launch date holds explicit significance, as the vacation commemorates the formation of the state the place Shivaji’s legacy stays profoundly influential.

Producer Genelia Deshmukh described the manufacturing as “a labor of affection — a journey formed by years of thought, analysis, and reverence,” underscoring their dedication to honoring the historic determine “who continues to encourage generations.”

The movie is being collectively produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Genelia Deshmukh.