National Award-winning actor Rishab Shetty is set to take on one of Indian history’s most consequential figures, as his ambitious historical project The Pride of Bharat: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has been expanded from a single feature into a two-part theatrical saga, as per a report by Variety India.

Rishab Shetty’s film on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj expands into two-part saga with over Rs. 500 crores budget: Report

Directed by Sandeep Singh, the film was initially announced as a standalone production. The revised plan now positions the first chapter for a 2028 theatrical release, with the second chapter scheduled to follow in 2029.

Scale and production details

The publication also claimed that the production carries an estimated budget in excess of Rs. 500 crores, placing it among the largest historical projects currently in development within Indian cinema.

A substantial portion of the shoot is expected to take place across Maharashtra, the region where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj established his kingdom and where many defining chapters of his life unfolded.

Principal photography is expected to begin after Shetty concludes his work on Jai Hanuman, directed by Prashanth Varma, in which he portrays Lord Hanuman.

Rishab Shetty’s upcoming slate

The project builds on Shetty’s career trajectory following the success of Kantara, for which he received the National Film Award for Best Actor. His confirmed schedule now spans Jai Hanuman in 2027, followed by both parts of The Pride of Bharat: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj across 2028 and 2029.

While Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has been depicted in numerous films and television productions across languages over the decades, the scale of this adaptation positions it as one of the most ambitious Hindi-language cinematic treatments of the Maratha ruler to date.

A first-look image of Shetty as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was unveiled earlier and drew considerable public attention. Details regarding the supporting cast, technical crew, and the makers’ official announcement on the revised release plan are yet to be disclosed.

Beyond its scale and budget, The Pride of Bharat: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is assembling an acclaimed ensemble both in front of and behind the camera. Alongside Rishab Shetty in the titular role, the film features Vivek Oberoi as Aurangzeb, Shefali Shah as Rajmata Jijabai, and Zanai Bhosle as Maharani Sai Bhosale, supported by a technical team that includes cinematographer Ravi Varman, music composer Pritam Chakraborty, lyricist Prasoon Joshi, sound designer Resul Pookutty, action director Craig Macrae, and editor Philomin Raj.

Planned as a multilingual two-part epic with a global release across seven languages, the ambitious production aims to bring the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to audiences on an unprecedented cinematic scale.

Also Read: Riteish Deshmukh apologises for dancing on a Bollywood song while wearing a T-shirt with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s image: “Sincere regret as a Shivpremi”