Vidya Balan has revealed that joining ‘Raja Shivaji’ was deeply personal, saying she felt both proud and excited to become part of a Marathi film based on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Speaking at the trailer launch, the actress said she had already decided to say yes when Riteish Deshmukh approached her, but held back her excitement until he left her house. For Balan, the project carried special meaning because she was born and raised in Mumbai and saw the film as a major cultural moment.At the trailer launch of ‘Raja Shivaji’, Balan recalled first hearing that a Marathi film on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was in the works and learning that Riteish Deshmukh was making it. She said the news immediately caught her attention, especially since others were already attached to the film.
Vidya Balan on joining ‘Raja Shivaji’
Balan said, “I heard that a Marathi film is being made on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and Ritesh is making it.”Balan then shared her first reaction upon hearing about the project. “And I was thinking that Sanju is doing it, Abhishek is doing it. Why didn’t Ritesh come to me?” she said. “Then I thought that maybe there won’t be any role for me, or maybe he doesn’t like me as an actor.”
Marathi film pride for Vidya Balan
Balan said Riteish eventually came to her with the script, but she tried not to show how eager she already was. “Then he came. I had decided that I would do it. But he came and told me the story. And I was listening very carefully. I told him that I will think about it and tell you. Because I didn’t want to express too much excitement.”She added that once he left, she called him right away with her answer. “So that he doesn’t know that I was actually waiting for him to come. He left the house and I called him and told him that I am doing it. This is a matter of great pride for me.”Balan closed by stressing how much the film means to her. “Because I was born in Mumbai, I grew up here. So to be part of a Marathi film, and a Marathi film of this scale and the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a matter of great pride for me. And I am very very excited. And what a treat!”‘Raja Shivaji’ follows the journey of the young Shivaji as he rises against powerful forces and moves toward becoming Chhatrapati. The film centers on the phase of his life tied to the establishment of the Maratha Empire. It is scheduled to release on May 1, 2026, in Marathi and Hindi, with a Telugu dubbed version also planned.
