A long-form historical epic about Shivaji’s rise should feel propulsive, grounded, and emotionally specific, but the available audience response points to a bloated, uneven film that many found miscast, overstuffed, and visually weak. Even the more positive reactions frame it as a partial success held together by… Read more
Chronicles the rise of young Shivaji Bhonsale, who challenged the might of established empires to found the Maratha kingdom and lay the groundwork for 'Swarajya' (self-rule) during a turbulent period of Indian history.
Director
Riteish Deshmukh
Cast
Riteish Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan
Curator Review
Verdict
A long-form historical epic about Shivaji’s rise should feel propulsive, grounded, and emotionally specific, but the available audience response points to a bloated, uneven film that many found miscast, overstuffed, and visually weak. Even the more positive reactions frame it as a partial success held together by music and a few action passages rather than a consistently convincing drama.
Best for
Viewers deeply interested in Maratha history regardless of execution
Fans of large-scale Indian period dramas who can tolerate a rough, TV-serial-like presentation
People curious about the film’s music and action choreography more than its storytelling
Skip if
You want historical authenticity and nuance
You are sensitive to weak VFX, pacing issues, or excessive runtime
You prefer character-driven epics with strong central performances
You are looking for a polished, emotionally layered biographical drama
Overview
Raja Shivaji aims for the sweep of a foundational nation-building epic, but the response suggests it lands more as a noisy pageant than a commanding historical drama. The core promise is compelling: a young Shivaji Bhonsale challenging empires and shaping Swarajya. In practice, viewers describe a film weighed down by length, uneven performances, and a presentation that feels closer to an overproduced television serial than a cinematic event.
Worth noting
What seems to work best are the action beats and the music, with some viewers finding enough energy in those elements to carry them through the runtime. But the broader consensus points to a lack of nuance and dramatic texture, especially for a figure who demands complexity, political intelligence, and emotional depth. Instead of building a living world around Shivaji, the film appears to flatten its characters into broad gestures.
Bottom line
If you are already invested in Maratha historical cinema, there may be isolated pleasures here. For most viewers, though, this looks like a case where scale and reverence were not matched by discipline or craft. The result is less an essential historical epic than a cautionary example of how prestige and runtime can’t substitute for storytelling precision.
Top Letterboxd reviews
𝙼𝙰𝙲𝙺 𝚂𝙴𝚀𝚄𝙴𝙸𝚁𝙰 (2★) · 70 likes
Ritesh aani Genelia chi MITRA MANDALI YOJANA gone wrong : Hya murkhapana muley, pura filmachi vaat laaun sodli. Ritesh Deshmukh seems to have confused directing a historical epic with hosting a lavish birthday party for his friends, resulting in a 3½ hour snooze fest that treats Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s life like a high budget Marathi TV serial. The biggest insult is the casting, Ritesh as the formidable Shivaji Maharaj is a joke, lacking the voice, presence and grit required for… more
sidbhat (0.5★) · 49 likes
As a proud Marathi who will forever defend the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, I absolutely despise this film. Riteish has absolutely butchered the story. There is no nuance. No drama. No suspense. There are no characters. Just caricatures. I wanna know Shivaji. Who was he as a person? His fears. His ambition. His grit. Beliefs. Prejudices. The good and the bad. Who was Afzal Khan? Who was Adil Shah? Shah Jahan? Why be so frivolous? So simplistic? So amateurish?… more
K.B. (2★) · 42 likes
Please stop making movies on Raje if you can't do it with utmost seriousness. This was so superficial and disappointing.
Pranjali (2★) · 41 likes
Wished the movie was as audacious as we've read about Maharaj ! Looked like parody at moments.
Yash (2.5★) · 38 likes
As someone who was literally born and brought up listening/reading to the stories and epics of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, I’d gladly take 50 films on him a year—but not at the cost of a decent actor who can’t carry the weight of the character and ends up filling the film with friends and family for the sake of it. Riteish had gold in his hands, man—he just ruined it with all those style-over-substance shots and incredibly disastrous CGI/VFX work. I really wanted to love this film and yes there are some good scenes here and there but it just didn’t land.
Themes
Maratha history, nation-building, resistance to empire, historical biography, political power, legacy and leadership, warfare, cultural identity
Topics
historical epic, Indian period drama, biopic, war drama, political intrigue, national identity, action spectacle, runtime bloat, prestige production, regional history