Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launches a film on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj marking Sandeep Singh’s directorial debut

Eminent Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, Nitin Gadkari unveiled the poster and launched a film on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj supporting filmmaker Sandeep Singh’s mega budget venture on the supreme Maratha warrior that will recreate the life of the fearless king on the big screen.

On the eve marking 394th birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, February 19, 2024, this cinematic masterpiece, titled The Pride of Bharat Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will encapsulate the king’s dynamism in its truest form.

The makers are leaving no stone unturned to make this film on a grand scale with the sets authentically reflecting the gloriousness and the charm of the Maratha era and the state-of-the-art technology capturing the essence of the larger-than-life command of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his battle with the Mughals and the British.

Interestingly, this is for the first time that a film on Shivaji Maharaj will be made in several languages viz: Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Marathi.

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Sandeep Singh said, “It’s taken me 23 years of hard struggle to build and create a position to debut as a director for my first mega budget film – The Pride of Bharat – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.There could be nothing better than this. I have been working on the script since 2019, five years of labour and love. I hope our audience will appreciate our film and the efforts invested in it.”

Singh added, “I have always been fascinated by Indian history. There could be no bigger Maharaj in this world other than Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He was the Maharaj of Maharaj’s.”

Talking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s relevance holding power even today, Sandeep Singh said, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was crowned as a king very early during his growing up years. For his age, he was extremely sharp and intelligent and fitted the responsibility that came with the crown. His short stature underplayed his inner bravery and strength, while his acute mind came up with unique strategies to tackle the enemies effectively. For example, he deliberately used the tough terrains of the Western ghats to fight battles as the rough and uneven ghats made it difficult for the enemy to gain access to his territory. There’s so much to learn from his life’s story. All information about the ruler has been confined to amongst the Maratha regions. I want the world to know about his achievements as a king.”

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“Also, I am really surprised that till date there’s been no Hindi film made on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. How come no filmmaker thought of it? There’s been no film on the legendary ruler in other languages too like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and English. Ever since I got to know this, I did not want to let go of the opportunity to make a film on the great Maratha ruler.”

While the lead actors will be locked soon, the other team members comprise of director of photography Aseem Bajaj, director of choreography Ganesh Hegde, costume designer Sheetal Sharma, production designer Sandeep Sharad Ravade, and Kavish Sinha is the casting director of the film. Well-known composer Devi Sri Prasad has been roped in to score the music of The Pride of Bharat – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

To pay respect and honour a tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the film will hit the theatres on January 23, 2026, when India will celebrate its 77th Republic Day – 26th January 2026.

The Pride of Bharat – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, helmed by Sandeep Singh as a director, is being presented by Immerso Studios and Legend Studios.