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Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti: 'When Darkness Longed For Light, A Flame Rose High...'; Riteish Deshmukh Shares First Look Of Raja Shivaji

24htopnews | February 19, 2026 8:09 PM CST

Actor Riteish Deshmukh took to social media to share the first look of his film Raja Shivaji, which is a biopic on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He shared the poster on the occasion of Shivaji Jayanti.

Actor Riteish Deshmukh will be seen as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in a film titled Raja Shivaji, which is directed by him. On the occasion of Shivaji Jayanti, on Thursday, the actor took to social media to share the first look of the film.

Riteish shared a poster and wrote, "When darkness longed for light, a flame rose high.. When history stood still, A young warrior chose to rewrite it.. When a land yearned for honour, A son took an oath and Swarajya was born.. (sic)."

The caption further read, "On the sacred occasion of Shiv Jayanti, celebrating the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Jio Studios and Mumbai Film Company unveil the first poster of #RajaShivaji Our King. Our Pride. Our Legacy. Director Riteish Vilasrao Deshmukh brings to life the story of our Raja in a cinematic spectacle never witnessed before! #RajaShivaji In cinemas from 1 May 2026. Jai Shivrai!"

Raja Shivaji Cast

Apart from Riteish, the movie also stars Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, Amole Gupte, and Genelia Deshmukh. According to reports, Salman Khan has a cameo in the movie.

Raja Shivaji Release Date

Raja Shivaji is all set to hit the big screens on May 1, 2026, coinciding Maharashtra Day. The movie will be released in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.

Riteish Deshmukh On Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti

Earlier, in the day, Riteish visited Shivneri Fort in Pune to pay tribute to the late King on his birth anniversary. While talking to the media there, Riteish had said, "Today is Shiva Jayanti, and on this day, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all Shiva devotees and Shiva lovers. Today is a day of great fortune. Our Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was born on this day, and everyone knows about his fame and bravery."