Vidya Balan has expressed her great pride and excitement about joining the Marathi film ‘Raja Shivaji’, which focuses on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. I was born and raised in Mumbai, and I saw it as an important cultural moment. Balan eagerly accepted Riteish Deshmukh’s offer, calling it a source of great pride and pleasure to be a part of such a big project.
Vidya Balan revealed that joining the Raja Shivaji film was very personal, saying that she felt honored and excited to be a part of a Marathi film based on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Speaking at the trailer launch, the actress said that she had already decided to say yes when Riteish Deshmukh approached her, but she suppressed her excitement until he left her house.
For Balan, the project had 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 connected to the film.
Vidya Balan joins Raja Shivaji film
“I heard that a Marathi film is being made on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and Riteish is making it,” Balan said.Balan then shared her first reaction when she heard about the project. “And I was thinking Sanju is doing it, Abhishek is doing it. Why didn’t Ritesh come to me?” She said. “Then I thought, ‘Maybe there won’t be any role for me, or maybe he doesn’t like me as an actor.’”
Marathi film Pride by Vidya Balan
Balan said that Riteish eventually came to her with the script, but she tried not to show how keen she actually was.
“Then he came. I had decided to do it. But he came and told me the story. And I was listening very carefully. I told him I would think about it and tell you. Because I didn’t want to express too much excitement.”She added that as soon as he left, she immediately called him and told him her answer. “So he didn’t know that I was actually waiting for him to come. He left the house and I called him and told him I was doing this. This is a matter of great pride for me.”Balan concluded his speech by emphasizing how important the film was to her. “Because I was born in Mumbai, I grew up here. So to be a part of a Marathi film, a Marathi film of this magnitude and the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a matter of great pride for me. I am very excited. What a treat!”‘Raja Shivaji’ follows the journey of young Shivaji as he rises up against powerful forces and moves towards becoming a Chhatrapati. The film focuses on the stage of his life associated with the establishment of the Maratha Empire. It is scheduled to be released on 1 May 2026 in Marathi and Hindi, with a Telugu dubbed release also planned.
