Riteish Deshmukh’s ‘Raja Shivaji’ has just released and we are here to jot down it’s verdict. Directed by Riteish himself, the film starts off on a high note. Though positioned at around nearly three hours, this Marathi film (which has been dubbed into Hindi), holds its ground really well in the first half.
Riteish and Genelia’s sons, Riaan and Rahyl make their debut with this film, playing the younger versions of Shivaji Maharaj. Both of them have a photogenic face and they have done their best to make their presence felt.
Riteish and Genelia’s combination has always worked wonders at the box office and with ‘Raja Shivaji’, they bring their stakes many notches higher.
The story tells the tale of Raja Shivaji, who has to see many turbulences as a child, with their parents separating in order to bring up their kids as potential kings. As they grow up, Shambaji (Abhishek Bachchan), the elder son and Shivaji Raje (Riteish), the younger son of Maharaja (Sachin Khedekar) and Maharani (Bhagyasree), turn into gritty personalities who, for the sake of Swarajya, fight against all odds.
They find a tough competition in the form of Afzal (Sanjay Dutt). The first half develops itself nicely with the emergence of Raja Shivaji and how he tackles the hindrances with uplomb.
The second half turns into an action mode with scenes which actually give us mighty goosebumps. With the death of Shambaji (Abhishek Bachchan), the story takes a deep turn and Raja Shivaji’s glorious tale of fighting Afzal and the Mughals comes into foray.
The score by Ajay-Atul is the backbone of the film. Such terrific score holds the film and they need to applauded. Background music by John Stewart Eduri needs a special mention. Cinematography by Santosh Sivan is neat while the VFX stands fine.
Performance wise, Riteish Deshmukh does a wonderful job. Though, there were opinions being formed about him playing Raja Shivaji due to his light hearted flicks in his filmography, but Riteish has developed himself into a powerful actor in the Marathi segment as he has mostly been seen in serious roles. Genelia looks beautiful and she does her part quite well. We must praise Riteish the director to do a great job in giving the right elevation scenes to Abhishek Bachchan. There is one scene wherein one of the soldiers from the opponent side makes a mouth mannerism showcasing he can easily kill Abhishek but in turn, he gets killed by Abhishek and then Abhishek gives the same mannerism and that is a whistle worthy moment. Abhishek shines in his role. Sanjay Dutt builds up his case well and is perfect for the role. Sachin Khedekar and Bhagyasree fit their parts nicely. Vidya Balan is very effective and her scenes bring in the magical touch to the proceedings. Fardeen Khan is seen in a few scenes and is decent.
Well, superstar Salman Khan makes a grand cameo in the film and his scenes with Riteish uplifts the mood.
Verdict? You need to go and watch the film for its shear strength of history and it tells a tale which actually needs to be watched by all. ‘Raja Shivaji’ is a terrific film and Riteish, the director, is in his top notch form. The second half may feel a little lengthy but the finale covers it up and we get to see an electrifying product. This is history and the audience needs to know all about our history. Don’t miss it!
Rating: 4/5
Review by Sandeep Rao (Sandy)
Follow Sandy @blabwithsandy