Riteish Deshmukh Overjoyed as Audience Embraces His Directorial Debut 'Raja Shivaji'

Speaking to ANI, Riteish Deshmukh reflected on the emotional connection of his film with the viewers, highlighting how families, including grandparents and young children, are coming together to watch films based on the historical figures such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Riteish Deshmukh said, "When I see people taking their families, making groups, taking their grandparents, there are a lot of people who have never seen a film, they are taking their grandchildren. New parents, a one-year-old child, and a two-year-old child feel that the first film of their life should be Raja Shivaji, especially the film on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. They are making their own videos by going inside. After going inside, everyone feels something. After coming out, they make a video and post it, telling you to watch this film."

He added that the organic promotion by the audience is a rewarding moment for filmmakers, emphasising the importance of films in bringing history to life, especially for children, who often miss out on deeper details found in textbooks.

"I think this is the moment when the audience accepts a film. That feeling is very good for the makers because when the audience accepts a film, they themselves start promoting it. Nothing better than that for filmmakers like us. I think children should watch a film because we are limited to a few pages of history. I believe that when a story is presented to you on a large screen, they will know that there are a lot of things that are not shown in the history books. To know all this, it is important to watch this film," said Riteish Deshmukh.

Riteish Deshmukh's historical epic 'Raja Shivaji' has delivered a thunderous start at the box office, rewriting record books for Marathi cinema with a massive Rs 23.90 crore opening weekend.

The film, which was released on May 1, has emerged as the biggest opening day grosser ever for a Marathi film, as per trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

According to Adarsh, the film has shown "super-strong" momentum since its release. Backed by the Maharashtra Day holiday, 'Raja Shivaji' opened to an impressive Rs 12.40 crore on Friday, followed by a solid Rs 11.50 crore on Saturday. This brings its two-day total to Rs 23.90 crore across Marathi and Hindi versions.

While the Marathi version is currently leading the box office performance, the Hindi version is expected to gain traction through positive word-of-mouth. "The film is expected to witness substantial growth today [Sunday] before facing the crucial Monday test," Adarsh noted.

The film boasts an ensemble cast, including Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Bhagyashree, and Genelia Deshmukh in key roles. It also features Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, and Amole Gupte.

- ANI