Directed by Laxman Utekar, “Chhaava” is an upcoming Indian action drama film, set to release in 2025. The movie is based on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the brave son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The movie is based on widescale Marathi novel Chhava written by Shievable Sawant. It depicts the journey regal Maratha Empire had to undergo during the reign of King Sambhaji, and his bold endeavors against the adversities.
Synopsis:
“Chhaava” portrays the journey of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj(Vicky Kaushal) in late 1600s, where Sambhaji had to tackle both external threats and internal conflict to strengthen the Maratha Empire, His intricate politics against his self adversary, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, along with his romantic struggles against his wife, Maharani Yesubai Bhonsale, the movie Had it all. The questions posed are endless and the battle for ultimate Soveranity is a gripping tale that this film tells.
Cast & Crew:
Vicky Kaushal ‘s precisão mesmerized us as he played Kaushal Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, an aged ruler tangled with the responsibilities of pardoning his kingdom, and overcoming the internal battles he fought during the era of war
Rashmika Mandanna: As Mandanna once said, it takes a lot more than need importance to advocate a warrior king. She skillfully created an image of a true yeah queen, powerful alongside an assertive hint.
Akshaye Khanna: A king once believed that this world is only powered by might. This Acting Emperor played by Khanna, proves that ideology coupled with ambition can prove to be extremely fruitful and deadly.
Ashutosh Rana as Sarsenapati Hambirrao Mohite: As the commander-in-chief of the Maratha Empire, Rana captures the loyalty and absolute commitment to the Maharathi cause perfectly.
Divya Dutta as Soyarabai: Dutta plays the role of Ambaji’s step mother, which gives the audience an appreciation of the family politics that underpin the dynasty.
The film is a Laxman Utekar production, in collaboration with Dinesh Vijan of Maddock Films. Utekar is also responsible for putting the story together, and is praised for his strong cinematic touch but also his storytelling ability. The score’s composer is A. R. Rahman, with lyrics from Irshad Kamil and Kshitij Patwardhan. Saurabh Goswami served as the Director of Photography and captures some of the former glory of the Maratha empire, and Manish Pradhan then cuts it all together for an interesting telling of the tale.
Production Insights:
The Chhaava poster was released in July 2013 but open filming began in October 2023 to May 2024. Pre- production started in April 2023. The producers did deep research into the 17th century Maratha period to get the history right, speaking to historians and traveling to various historical places across Maharashtra. Costume designer Sheetal Sharma made sure to bring authenticity to the clothes by buying fabric and accessories from Kolhapur and Pune, where traditional Maratha clothing is predominant. Important historical artifacts were also reconstructed, such as the Bhavani sword, to add more realism to the depiction of historical events.
Music:
Musical complement of ‘Chhaava’ by A. R. Rahman served as a marathi folk interspersed with orchestral elements, and is great for the accompanying soundtrack with the film’s setting. “Jaane Tu,” the first single from the album, was published on 31st January 2025, and is a soft romantic track embodying the love between Sambhaji and Yesubai. “Aaya Re Toofan,” the second single of the album released on 6th February 2025, displays an energetic tone fit for the stormy era graphic of Sambhaji’s reign. The entire album with songs composed by Rahman during his live show was given out on 13th February 2025. The event was fully spectacular with Rahman performing live.
Release and Reception:
‘Chhaava’ was released in theatres on 14th February 2025 on Valentine’s day rationale owing to the title and core theme of the film, that revolves around the everlasting romance in the life of Sambhaji and Yesubai. The film turned out to be successful with critics and was especially well-received in the portrayal of Sambhaji Maharaj from Kaushal and direction from Utekar. During its first weekend ‘Chhaava’ earned -147 crore rupees in more than a record, beating out older benchmarks for the highest-grossing Bollywood film in 2025. It’s reconcilable that the construction of the movie, along with its performances and remaining elements with Maratha history made it pleasing for the entire country.
Chhaava, is counter productive, because on one side it claims to provide authentic entertainment, while historians and scholars question its historical accuracy. As a result, historians hail Chhaava as highly innovative and unique, while others consider this as an insult to Indian history. Educational institutions have dedicated lectures around the film and its impact on their audience. Students are encouraged to examine Maratha history through the lens of cinema’s make-believe world. The expectation is hopes that it will help them realize the scope of Indian history.
It is highly critical to any sort of mainstream cinema in India, but it is difficult to deny the fact that there are ample legendary figures amongst the Marathas which makes the cinema industry immensely rich in content. Chhaava is bound to create interest in the audience who are not aware of great warriors like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and makes them seek out to know more about them. Along with entertaining the audience, they should also try to educate them about the legacy of both the aforementioned figures so that it can be deeply rooted in the modern era.
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