Riteish Deshmukh's 'Raja Shivaji' Sets Record Advance Bookings, Opens to Mixed Reviews

Key facts

• Raja Shivaji sold 1 lakh tickets in advance bookings as of 2 PM on Thursday, grossing ₹2.5 crore.
• The film is expected to earn ₹8-9 crore net on opening day in India, with a chance of crossing ₹10 crore.
• The previous record for a Marathi film opening day is ₹4.2 crore set by Sairat in 2016.
• 90% of advance bookings come from Maharashtra.
• The film runs 195 minutes and features a cast including Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, and Salman Khan in a cameo.
• The Bombay High Court dismissed a petition claiming the title 'Raja Shivaji' was derogatory.
• Ajay-Atul's soundtrack is praised, with the title song noted as catchy.

A Record-Breaking Start for Marathi Cinema

Raja Shivaji, the Marathi historical actioner directed by and starring Riteish Deshmukh, is set to shatter box-office records for Marathi cinema on its opening day. As of Thursday afternoon, the film had sold 1 lakh tickets in advance, grossing ₹2.5 crore — already the highest advance booking collection for any Marathi film in history. Trade insiders project net collections of ₹6-7 crore from the Marathi version alone on Friday, with the Hindi version contributing over ₹1 crore, largely from Maharashtra. The total opening-day net is expected to reach ₹8-9 crore, with a potential to cross ₹10 crore. The film easily surpasses the previous record of ₹4.2 crore set by Nagraj Manjule's Sairat in 2016, even accounting for inflation. It also outperforms Deshmukh's own 2022 film Ved, which opened at ₹3.5 crore. However, comparisons with Hindi films based on Maratha history, such as Chhaava (₹30 crore opening) and Tanhaji (₹15 crore), remain unwarranted given the different market scales.

Early Reactions: Praise for Performances and Music

Netizens have hailed Raja Shivaji as Riteish Deshmukh's career-best performance, with particular acclaim for the music by Ajay-Atul, described as the film's soul. Sanjay Dutt and Abhishek Bachchan also received praise for their roles. However, critical reviews have been more measured. The film's 195-minute runtime is noted as epic in length but not in scope, with critics pointing to a lack of freshness in slow-motion action scenes and Santosh Sivan's cinematography. Vidya Balan, playing the Adlishahi queen, is described as a scene-stealer, while Sanjay Dutt's portrayal of Afzal Khan is noted as a fleshed-out character. Deshmukh's own performance is seen as dedicated if not quite kingly. The parade of Bollywood actors, including Salman Khan's cameo as Jeeva Mahala, is viewed as an ill-judged attempt to revive national interest in the Maharashtrian icon.

Plot and Historical Context

The film traces the evolution of Shivaji Shahaji Bhonsle into Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, set in the mid-seventeenth century when parts of Maharashtra are under the Deccan Sultanate. The narrative depicts a time of legitimized anarchy, with betrayal, looting, and wanton killings rampant. Shivaji's father Shahaji Bhonsle (Sachin Khedekar) and mother Jijabai (Bhagyashree Patwardhan) are forced to follow the diktats of the buffoonish Adil Shah (Amole Gupte) and his cunning wife Khadija (Vidya Balan). As adults, Shivaji (Deshmukh) and his brother Sambhaji (Abhishek Bachchan) rebel against the Deccan sultans and Mughal emperor Shahjahan (Fardeen Khan). Shivaji's main adversary is the gleefully cruel Afzal Khan (Sanjay Dutt). The film's centerpiece is the spectacular evisceration of Afzal Khan, a familiar incident from history and Amar Chitra Katha comics.

Religious Undertones and Controversy

Raja Shivaji emphasizes Shivaji's religious bent, with saffron flags flying over his capital and brutal depictions of his opponents. Editor Urvashi Saxena pointedly cuts between Deccan soldiers massacring children on Dussehra and a thin line between Hindavi Swaraj and Hindutva, though the film is less explicit in its religious politics than recent historicals like Chhaava. The film's title itself sparked controversy: a day before release, the Bombay High Court dismissed a petition claiming the title was derogatory. The film's release in Marathi with stretches of Hindi dialogue, and entirely in Hindi, reflects its ambition to reach a national audience.

Box Office Outlook and Comparisons

With 90% of advance bookings from Maharashtra, the film's box office is expected to be heavily concentrated in the state. The Hindi version's contribution is modest, reflecting limited national appeal. The film's opening-day net of ₹8-9 crore, while record-breaking for Marathi cinema, remains far below the ₹30 crore opening of Chhaava and ₹15 crore of Tanhaji. Produced by Mumbai Film Company and Jio Studios, Raja Shivaji releases on May 1. The film's long-term performance will depend on word-of-mouth, especially given mixed critical reviews. The record for highest-grossing Marathi film remains a target, but the initial momentum is undeniable.

The bottom line

• Raja Shivaji has set a new benchmark for Marathi cinema with advance bookings of ₹2.5 crore and projected opening-day net of ₹8-9 crore.
• The film's success is driven by strong local support in Maharashtra, with 90% of bookings from the state.
• Critical reception is mixed: praised for performances and music, but criticized for length and lack of narrative freshness.
• The film's religious undertones and title controversy highlight ongoing debates about historical representation in Indian cinema.
• Despite record-breaking numbers, the film's Hindi version underperforms, limiting its national reach compared to Bollywood historicals.