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‘Raja Shivaji’, slated to hit theatres on May 1, will arrive in both Marathi and Hindi formats, but with a surprising twist. Unlike most multilingual releases where only the language differs, this historical drama will feature distinct runtimes for each version, making it a rare case in Indian cinema.


The Hindi version of ‘Raja Shivaji’ received a U/A 16+ certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification on April 28. According to the certification details, the film runs for 187 minutes and 5 seconds (3 hours, 7 minutes). No additional cuts were demanded, as necessary changes had already been incorporated earlier. However, the board advised that chapter titles, dates, locations, and key events be presented in Hindi.


Earlier, the Marathi version of ‘Raja Shivaji’ was certified on April 24 with a runtime of 195 minutes and 5 seconds (3 hours, 15 minutes). This means the Hindi version is shorter by exactly 8 minutes, setting it apart from the original cut designed for Marathi audiences.


Strong booking numbers for ‘Raja Shivaji’
According Bollywood Hungama, Raja Shivaji had sold more than 40,000 tickets as of 8:00 am on April 29. By 4:30 pm on April 28, PVR Inox sold 9,800 tickets for the historical entertainer’s Marathi version. Cinepolis sold 3,000 tickets, MovieMax saw sales of 2,400, while Miraj Cinemas sold more than 4,100 tickets.


Pune emerges as top market for ‘Raja Shivaji’ advance booking
Early trends from ticketing platforms show ‘Raja Shivaji’ gaining strong momentum across Maharashtra, with shows filling up quickly. While Mumbai continues to record solid demand, Pune has emerged as the biggest surprise, witnessing exceptional response. Several theatres there have started scheduling shows as early as 7:00 am to meet audience demand, a move only a few Mumbai cinemas have begun adopting so far.


At present, Pune stands out as the top-performing market, even challenging Mumbai’s dominance, which is a rare occurrence. Major chains like City Pride and E-Square are expected to lead ticket sales in the region, with combined numbers likely crossing 20,000 by April 30. Other cities such as Nashik, Latur, Solapur, Kolhapur, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar are also reporting encouraging advance bookings.


‘Raja Shivaji’'s strategic creative decision
According to Bollywood Hungama, reports explained the reasoning behind the variation, saying, “Usually, two versions of a film have the exact same duration. However, Riteish Deshmukh has tried a novel experiment and kept the narrative crisp for the Hindi audience. Meanwhile, for the Marathi audience, which would probably be more attracted to the film due to the local flavour, the actor-director has gone for a longer version.”


The contrast in runtime was also evident in the film’s promotional material. While the Marathi trailer of ‘Raja Shivaji’ runs for 3 minutes and 5 seconds, the Hindi version is slightly shorter at 2 minutes and 59 seconds, subtly reflecting the difference in storytelling approach.


‘Raja Shivaji’ s star-studded historical drama
‘Raja Shivaji’ features Riteish Deshmukh in the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj . The film also boasts an ensemble cast including Genelia Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Fardeen Khan, Bhagyashree, Sachin Khedekar, Amole Gupte, and Jitendra Joshi, among others.


The film is produced under Mumbai Film Company by Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh, along with Jyoti Deshpande’s Jio Studios. With its scale, cast, and unique release strategy, ‘Raja Shivaji’ is shaping up to be a noteworthy cinematic event.