As ‘Raja Shivaji’ continues its strong run at the box office, director and lead actor Riteish Deshmukh addressed the widespread chatter over the film’s Rs 100-crore budget. He urged audiences and the industry to shift the focus back to the cinematic experience.
Riteish Deshmukh talks about budget rumors about ‘Raja Shivaji’ movie
Speaking with Hindustan Times, Riteish was candid about the budget speculation surrounding the film. He said, “As far as the numbers circulating about Raja Shivaji’s budget are concerned, only the producers know the real budget. The last thing we should do as filmmakers is discuss the film’s budget because it doesn’t affect anything.”Ritesh went further, asking why budget has become such a conversation in today’s film culture.
He added: “Budget se kya lena dena hai? If someone asks me about the budget, I ask them: How much do you pay for a ticket to watch it?” They say “Rs. 100” or “Rs. 250-300”; I answer that this is the budget. One should stop talking about it. Let it be magical. Just go and experience the movie.”
Riteish Deshmukh says numbers should not be the focus
Drawing on his childhood, Riteish Deshmukh remembers what it’s really like to watch a film on the big screen. “When I used to go to watch Amitabh Bachchan’s films like Sholay in my childhood, I would never think ‘Iska budget kya hai?'” he recalls. “I just wanted to be entertained on the big screen.”
The actor stressed that amazement, not numbers, should define the experience of going to the cinema.
Riteish Deshmukh feels Bollywood It has played a huge role in normalizing the obsession with numbers
Ritesh also turned the lens on the industry itself, acknowledging that Bollywood has played a role in normalizing this obsession. “We will never know how many films have been collected. Unfortunately, that’s the game today. People wonder how much actors get paid for films… It’s our fault; we feed these numbers. Those who feel this is right, that’s fine.”
We have made seven films so far in Marathi; “We never reveal the budget of our films,” he said.
More about Raja Shivaji
Produced simultaneously in Marathi and Hindi, ‘Raja Shivaji’ is the most expensive Marathi film ever made and is inspired by the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The film stars Genelia Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Sanjay Dutt, and many others in lead roles.The film was released in theaters on May 1, 2026.
