Raja Shivaji Review: Riteish Deshmukh Delivers Marathi Cinema’s Biggest Swing Yet And It Mostly Lands

A Chapter Driven Epic That Takes Its Time

Clocking well over three hours, the film adopts a chapter based narrative structure that has quietly become the go to format for expansive storytelling. It allows the narrative to breathe, pause, and reset before diving into the next movement.

The opening chapter Rakht and Raakh lays the ideological groundwork long before Shivaji’s rise. It places the audience in a time where power structures were fluid, where the Marathas were negotiating survival under the looming presence of the Mughals, Nizamshahi, and Adilshahi forces.

Through Shahaji Raje Bhosale and Jijabai, the film establishes the emotional and political landscape, setting the stage for what is to come. By the time Shivaji Raje enters the narrative in his adult form, the story has already built a sense of urgency around the world he is stepping into.

Building Towards A Battle That Feels Inevitable

The narrative gradually introduces the looming threat of Afzal Khan, played by Sanjay Dutt. His presence is felt even before it fully manifests, creating a slow build up that pays off in the later chapters.

By the time the story reaches Chapter 6, Pralay and Chapter 8, Aakhrecha Daav, the stakes are clear. Allies retreat, loyalties shift, and the idea of Swarajya feels increasingly fragile. The film leans into this tension, allowing the conflict to simmer rather than rushing towards its conclusion.

The eventual confrontation between Shivaji Raje and Afzal Khan is staged as an inevitable clash rather than a sudden spectacle. It works because the narrative has invested enough time in building that anticipation.

Riteish Deshmukh The Director Finds His Scale

Riteish Deshmukh’s growth as a filmmaker is evident here. After showing glimpses of sensitivity in Ved, he now attempts something far more ambitious, scratch that, most ambitious.

What stands out is his ability to balance scale with emotion. Even within a film that thrives on spectacle, there are moments where he pulls back, allowing characters to exist in quieter spaces. That instinct helps ground the narrative, preventing it from becoming purely ornamental.

His collaboration with cinematographer Santosh Sivan is crucial to this vision. Together, they create frames that feel expansive without losing detail. The action sequences, in particular, carry a certain rawness that adds weight to the violence rather than turning it into mere choreography.

A Cast That Feels Almost Unreal For Marathi Cinema

One of the most striking aspects of the film is the sheer scale of its casting. Bringing together actors like Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, and Sanjay Dutt within a Marathi film is not just impressive, it is almost surreal.

There are moments where you pause not because of the narrative, but because of the realization of what you are watching. Seeing these performers share space in this context feels like a statement in itself.

Deshmukh also manages to guide his actors through linguistic challenges. While not all of them are equally comfortable in Marathi, the performances are shaped in a way that prioritizes intent over perfection, making the interactions feel organic enough within the film’s world. It also helps that Dutt and Balan don't have to worry about it at all given their characters only and fully speak in Hindi.

Where The Film Begins To Feel Uneven

For all its ambition, the film does struggle with its own scale at times. The storytelling occasionally becomes too elaborate, stretching moments that could have been more concise.

There is a tendency to lean into extended speeches that, while effective in isolation, begin to weigh down the narrative when used repeatedly. The emotional core risks getting overshadowed by the need to amplify every moment.

The relationship between Shivaji Raje and Sai, played by Genelia Deshmukh, does not land as strongly as intended. Part of this stems from Genelia’s uneven Marathi delivery, which creates a slight disconnect in scenes that rely heavily on emotional exchange.

To the film’s credit, this track does not dominate the narrative. It remains a part of the story without overtaking its central focus.

Performances That Work In Parts Rather Than Whole

Riteish Deshmukh as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a performance driven by effort. You can see the preparation, the commitment, and the intention behind every scene. But that effort is also visible in a way that prevents the performance from feeling completely effortless.

He finds his strength in moments that require emotional depth rather than grand declaration. In quieter scenes, he is far more convincing, allowing the character’s humanity to come through.

Sanjay Dutt’s Afzal Khan operates within familiar territory, but the performance benefits from restraint. Instead of leaning entirely into intimidation, he underplays certain moments, making the character’s presence more unsettling.

Abhishek Bachchan brings sincerity to Sambhaji, navigating both the linguistic and emotional demands of the role with a sense of control. Vidya Balan as Badi Begum stands out for her command over dialogue and presence, turning even limited screen time into something memorable.

The supporting cast, including Bhagyashree as Jijabai, Sachin Khedekar as Shahaji Raje, and Jitendra Joshi, contribute effectively, ensuring that the world feels populated with distinct voices rather than background figures.

Spectacle Meets Limitations In Technical Execution

The film’s visual ambition is undeniable, but it is also where its limitations become most visible. The VFX, in particular, feels inconsistent. While some sequences hold up, others struggle to match the scale the film is aiming for.

This is understandable given the budgetary constraints of Marathi cinema, but it does affect the immersion, especially during large scale battle sequences and aerial shots.

Despite this, the film manages to compensate through practical staging and strong cinematography. The action sequences retain a certain intensity that helps maintain engagement even when the visual effects fall short.

Music That Carries The Emotional Weight

The soundtrack and background score by Ajay Atul deliver exactly what the film needs. Their music does not just accompany the narrative, it elevates it.

From moments of tension to scenes of triumph, the score adds a layer of emotion that the visuals alone might not have fully conveyed. It plays a significant role in maintaining the film’s momentum, especially during its longer stretches.

A Cameo That Understands The Assignment

There is a cameo in the film that arrives with precision and leaves with impact. It is the kind of appearance that reminds you how to use star power effectively without turning it into a distraction.

It generates the kind of reaction that theatrical films thrive on, adding to the overall experience without derailing the narrative.