Riteish Deshmukh is gearing up for the release of his much-awaited historical action drama Raja Shivaji, in which he essays the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Ahead of the release of the film on May 1, a controversy has erupted after Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, also known as Bageshwar Baba, made some remarks on the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Riteish has now reacted to the ‘distorted nonsense’ about the great warrior king in a new post. (Also read: Riteish Deshmukh responds to criticism over ‘manipulating and insulting’ Maharashtra’s legacy with Raja Shivaji film)
What did Riteish say
Taking to his X account, Riteish wrote in Marathi, “When someone comes along and spews some distorted nonsense about our cherished deity, as a Shiv-premi and Shiv-bhakt, this is unacceptable and infuriating. Such futile attempts to belittle the legacy will not be tolerated at all. But just as the mountain ranges of the Sahyadri have existed for millions of years before, so too will that one name endure for crores of years in the future. And that name is of the Kshatriya lineage, the Lord of the Throne, the Emperor of Emperors, Chhatrapati Maharaj.”
Bageshwar Baba triggered backlash after he recently made a few comments during the Bhardurga Shaktisthal foundation stone-laying ceremony in Nagpur. “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj grew very tired of fighting wars; he felt exhausted. One day, he went to Ramdas Swami. He took off his crown and placed it down, saying, ‘I do not want to fight wars anymore. You look after this crown; you handle this kingdom. We shall follow your orders. We can no longer fight; we are very tired and need rest. We wish to do nothing for a few days,’” he said.
About Raja Shivaji
Backed by Jyoti Deshpande and Genelia Deshmukh under Mumbai Film Company and presented by Jio Studios, Raja Shivaji is a grand historical epic based on the life and legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. A few days ago, at the trailer launch, both Riteish and Genelia broke down while talking about the movie. Riteish later thanked Genelia for standing by him and supporting him throughout the journey of making the film.
The film tells the story of Shivaji Maharaj’s early journey, focusing on his oath to build Swarajya and his stand against the powerful rulers of the time. Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Bhagyashree, Mahesh Manjerakar, and Boman Irani are also part of the cast.