Riteish Deshmukh's historical action drama film "Raja Shivaji" has officially started streaming on Netflix from June 26, 2026, nearly two months after its theatrical release. It was released in theatres on May 1, 2026. The release date was strategically chosen to align with Maharashtra Day, which significantly boosted its opening-day ticket sales across the state.
In its theatrical run, the film emerged as a massive commercial success, grossing over Rs ₹130 crore worldwide against an estimated production budget of ₹75 crore. It holds the distinction of being the most expensive Marathi film ever made and shattered records to be the highest-grossing Marathi film of all time.
"Raja Shivaji" is an epic historical drama that chronicles the early life, formative years, and strategic rise of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Rather than spanning his entire life, the film focuses deeply on his journey from birth up to his definitive victory over the Adil Shahi commander Afzal Khan at the Battle of Pratapgad.
Written by Riteish Deshmukh, Ajit Wadikar, and Sandeep Patil, the movie features a high-profile ensemble cast from both Marathi and Hindi cinema. Riteish Deshmukh, who plays Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is also the director, while Genelia Deshmukh plays Rani Saibai. Sanjay Dutt played Afzal Khan, Abhishek Bachchan essayed Sambhaji Shahaji Bhosale.
Other cast members include Bhagyashree as Rajmata Jijau Bhosale, Vidya Balan as Badi Begum (Khadija Sultana), Fardeen Khan as Shah Jahan, Amole Gupte as Adilshah, Sachin Khedekar as Shahaji Raje Bhosale, and Mahesh Manjrekar as Lakhuji Raje, among others.
Salman Khan makes a special cameo appearance as Jiva Mahala.
Genelia Deshmukh and Jyoti Deshpande produced the movie under the banners Mumbai Film Company and Jio Studios, respectively. The Ajay-Atul duo composed the music. Ace cinematographer Santosh Sivan was behind the camera, with editing duties handled by Urvashi Saxena.
The film shattered multiple box office records for regional cinema, comfortably beating the long-standing record of "Sairat" (which had a lifetime haul of ₹110 crore) to claim the crown as the highest-grossing Marathi film of all time globally.
It is officially the first Marathi film in Indian cinema history to cross the ₹100 crore net milestone domestically. It collected ₹37+ crore net in India within its opening weekend alone and is now the tenth-highest-grossing Indian film of 2026 overall.
