Riteish Deshmukh is currently gearing up for the release of his film Raja Shivaji, which he has directed, acted in, written, and produced. After the release of the trailer, it landed in controversy over the depiction of the Wagh Nakh used in the film. Now, Riteish has slammed those calling him out for distorting facts.
Riteish Deshmukh slams netizens over distorted nonsense
Taking to his X handle, Riteish wrote, “When someone comes along and spews some distorted nonsense about our cherished deity, as a Shiv-premi, Shiv-bhakt, this is unacceptable and infuriating. Such futile attempts to trap it within frames will be swallowed up in the belly of time. But just as the mountain ranges of the Sahyadri have existed for millions of years before, so too will ‘that’ one name endure for crores of years in the future. And that name is… Pratap Purandar… of the Kshatriya lineage… Lord of the Throne… Emperor of Emperors… the wealthy Rajashiv Chhatrapati Maharaj.”
कोणीतरी येतो आणि आपल्या आराध्य दैवताबद्दल काहीतरी विकृत बरळतो, एक शिवप्रेमी-शिवभक्त म्हणून हे अमान्य आणि संतापजनक आहे.
असले चौकटीत अडकवण्याचे फोल प्रयत्न काळाच्या उदरात गडप होतील. पण सह्याद्रीच्या पर्वतरांगा जशा लाखो वर्ष आधी होत्या तसंच ‘ते’ एकच नाव करोडो वर्ष भविष्यातही राहील.…— Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) April 26, 2026
The scene in question shows Riteish as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj confronting Afzal Khan using the Wagh Nakh (tiger claws), a well-known incident from the Maharaj’s life. An X user slammed Riteish Deshmukh for historical inaccuracies in the trailer. Riteish responded to the X user. Sharing the post, he wrote, “Respected Sir, pls do watch the film on 1st May… the answer to your question is there in the movie. I hope you enjoy the film with your friends and family. Jai Shivrai (folded hands emoji).”
More about Raja Shivaji
Meanwhile, Raja Shivaji portrays the legacy of the Maratha warrior-king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It stars Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Boman Irani, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, Amol Gupte, Genelia Deshmukh, and Riteish Deshmukh. The film blends visual grandeur with a deeply emotional and inspiring narrative rooted in the birth of Swarajya. The film is set to release in cinemas worldwide on May 1, 2026, in Marathi, Hindi, and Telugu.