Riteish Deshmukh has publicly called out Bageshwar Baba for his statements about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, describing them as ‘unacceptable and infuriating’. As interest in his movie Raja Shivaji reaches its highest point before its May 1st release, the actor criticized what he called ‘twisted and untrue things’, and quickly caused a major cultural argument in Maharashtra.
Riteish Deshmukh’s sharp rebuttal on X
In a quick response on X (formerly Twitter) to the increasing discussion, Riteish said that as someone who loves and worships Shiva, it’s unacceptable and infuriating when anyone says something completely untrue about someone we deeply respect.
He also said that pointless attempts to limit Shivaji Maharaj to a simple explanation will be forgotten over time, and then powerfully mentioned the Sahyadri mountains to emphasize Shivaji Maharaj’s lasting importance.
Finally, Riteish respectfully saluted Shivaji Maharaj saying his name will be remembered for many, many years… Pratap Purandar… from the warrior Kshatriya family… the King on the throne… the greatest of Emperors… the rich and glorious Rajashiv Chhatrapati Maharaj.
In his post, he underscored the following points:
– Distorted claims about Shivaji are unacceptable
– Attempts to confine his legacy will fail
– Shivaji Maharaj’s name endures beyond time
What Bageshwar Baba claimed in Nagpur
The problem started at the Bhardurga Shakti Sthal foundation event in Nagpur. Bageshwar Baba said Shivaji Maharaj became tired of all the fighting and offered his crown to Samarth Ramdas Swami, asking him to become the leader instead.
These comments quickly turned into a big political issue throughout Maharashtra. Lots of complaints came from many different people, and a discussion about Shivaji Maharaj’s life and history that was already quite heated became an even more explosive situation.
Raja Shivaji builds momentum amid debate
Raja Shivaji is intended to show the life and accomplishments of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to people all over India. The film is very large in scope and has been the subject of much discussion, even before it is in cinemas.
After the first look at the trailer, excitement increased, but at the same time, discussion and debate online increased regarding who was chosen for the parts and what happens in certain important scenes, showing that the audience is paying very close attention to everything.
Key details about Raja Shivaji:
– Release date set for May 1
– Focus on Shivaji Maharaj’s early journey and Swarajya oath
– Backed by Mumbai Film Company, presented by Jio Studios
Cast and creators
Riteish Deshmukh plays Shivaji Maharaj, and he is joined by Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, Amole Gupte, and Genelia Deshmukh.
Jyoti Deshpande and Genelia Deshmukh, through Mumbai Film Company, are producing the film, and Jio Studios is presenting it. At the trailer showing, Riteish and Genelia both had strong feelings about how the film was made, and Riteite later thanked Genelia for her continuing, solid support.
What comes next
As the release date gets closer, the conversations about Shivaji Maharaj’s impact, how he is shown in the film, and the responsibility of making the film continue to become more intense. Riteish is very clear that he won’t allow stories that he feels incorrectly represent Shivaji Maharaj.
For Marathi cinema, Raja Shivaji represents a larger and more ambitious approach to making films. And for the audience, it will offer a new telling of the early part of the life of the brave king, a story about his beliefs, his promise, and his resistance to the very powerful people he fought against.
