On the occasion of Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti, the makers of Riteish Deshmukh`s upcoming film Raja Shivaji shared the first poster from the film. Directed by Riteish, the film is also headlined by the actor and will star some prominent Bollywood actors in cameos. Riteish plays the role of the revered Maratha king Shivaji Maharaj.
Raja Shivaji first look
On Thursday, Riteish Deshmukh took to his social media handles to share his first look from the upcoming period drama based on the life of the Maratha king. The actor looked fierce as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the first look.
Sharing the poster, he wrote in Marathi, “When darkness longed for light, a flame rose high…When history stood still, A young warrior chose to rewrite it. When a land yearned for honour, A son took an oath and Swarajya was born.. On the sacred occasion of Shiv Jayanti, celebrating the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Jio Studios and Mumbai Film Company unveil the first poster of RajaShivaji. Our King. Our Pride. Our Legacy.”
The film will be released in theatres on May 1, 2026.
On Shivaji Jayanti, Riteish also visited Shivneri fort in Pune to pay his respects to the great warrior and King at his birth place.
About Raja Shivaji
Mounted on an unprecedented scale, Raja Shivaji is poised to be a landmark cinematic event — a blend of cultural pride, mainstream storytelling, and cinematic excellence. With an eclectic ensemble cast drawn from across the Hindi and Marathi film industries, including Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan Jitendra Joshi, Amole Gupte, Genelia Deshmukh and Riteish Vilasrao Deshmukh, Raja Shivaji, a pan-India film is expected to spark a conversation around the power and potential of regional cinema made for the global stage.
Set in a time when empires clashed and rebellions ignited, Raja Shivaji chronicles the extraordinary journey of a young Shivaji who defied the odds, rebelled against formidable powers to become the revered Raja Shivaji and laid the foundation for Swarajya. The film brings together an illustrious creative team including music maestros Ajay–Atul and legendary cinematographer Santosh Sivan, who makes his Marathi cinema debut. Currently in production across Mumbai and Wai in Maharashtra, the film promises to be a visually immersive and emotionally stirring experience.