Riteish Deshmukh’s historical epic Raja Shivaji has made a strong impression at the box office since its release on May 1. Mounted on a grand scale and centred on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the film has raked in an impressive Rs 33 crore within its first three days, drawing significant attention across Maharashtra.Amid the film’s success, Riteish revealed an interesting behind-the-scenes detail, several actors chose to be part of the project without charging a fee. “This Marathi film has got the most screens in Maharashtra. We have read all the books; the history of Maharaj is not something that can be contained in one film. It was our job to show this film without compromising on history. Salman Khan is my brother; he was in both my films. I was working on writing the film for three and a half years. All the big actors have worked for free in this film; everyone has worked for free for Maharaj,” revealed Riteish Deshmukh.He further spoke about the film’s wider reach, adding, “We have aired this film in Hindi and Marathi. Summer holidays are starting, this is a good opportunity for the entire family and young children to get information about Maharaj from this film.”The film features an ensemble cast, with Salman Khan making a special appearance as Shivaji Maharaj’s loyal bodyguard Jiva Mahale. Abhishek Bachchan essays the role of Sambhaji Shahji Bhosale, while Sanjay Dutt takes on the character of Afzal Khan.The film also stars Vidya Balan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Boman Irani, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, Amol Gupte, and Genelia Deshmukh, alongside Riteish.
