Actor-filmmaker Riteish DeshmukhWho has taken on multiple responsibilities as the writer, director, producer and lead actor of ‘Raja Shivaji’, recently got into controversy after the release of the trailer. An ambitious historical drama Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj it has created a lot of buzz, but also criticism online, especially about one scene Sanjay Dutt and the iconic Wagh Nakh.A user X (formerly Twitter) questioned the historical accuracy of the film, writing, “Did Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj show ‘Wagh Nakh’ to Afzal Khan? Wagh Nakh came out only after Afzal attacked Maharaj. Why is @Riteishd tampering with Maharashtra’s glorious history?”
The user added, “The trailer of Riteish Deshmukh’s film shows Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj before the attack on Afzal Khan at Wagh Nakh. It is a historical fact that the ‘Wagh Nakh’ was hidden and used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj only after Afzal’s attack.”Expressing strong disapproval, the post read, “WHY IS @RITEISHD CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ AND MAHARASHTRA’S HISTORY, HERITAGE AND PRIDE MANIPULATING AND INSULTING?”Answer by Riteish DeshmukhResponding to the critics, Riteish responded politely, asking the audience to watch “Raja Shivaji” before jumping to conclusions. “Respected sir please watch the movie on 1st May.. The answer to your question is in the movie. I hope you enjoy the movie with your friends and family. Jai Shivrai,” he wrote.The exchange didn’t end there as the user replied, “So it’s true ‘within the film’? ‘Watch the film for answers’ is fine for fiction, not history. In depicting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the trailer itself should answer questions, not raise them.” Interesting strategy: Market Doubt, Sell Clear”.Meanwhile, several users came to Riteish’s defense. One commented: “I think the scene is after Afzhal is stabbed.” Another wrote, “It’s a movie, take it as a movie, if you like it go and if you haven’t seen it, don’t go. It’s simple. We have bodies like CBFC etc to look after it.” A third added, “Pehle dekh toh lo bhai… Itna toh usne research kari hi hogi.”More about ‘Raja Shivaji’‘Raja Shivaji’ is produced by Genelia D’Souza and Jyoti Deshpande and features an ensemble cast including Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, Amole Gupte and Genelia. The film will release on May 1 in Marathi and Hindi.
