‘Raja Shivaji’, which releases on May 1, will arrive in both Marathi and Hindi formats, but with a surprising twist. Unlike most multilingual releases where the language is different, this historical drama will have different running times 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 28 April. According to the certificate details, the film runs for 187 minutes and 5 seconds (3 hours and 7 minutes). No additional restrictions were requested as the necessary changes had already been introduced. However, the board has recommended that chapter titles, dates, locations and key events should be presented in Hindi.
Earlier, the Marathi version of ‘Raja Shivaji’ was confirmed on April 24 with a running time of 195 minutes and 5 seconds (3 hours and 15 minutes). This means that the Hindi version is 8 minutes shorter, differing from the original cut designed for the Marathi audience.
Strong booking numbers for ‘Raja Shivaji’
According to Bollywood Hungama, Raja Shivaji has sold over 40,000 tickets as of 8 am on April 29. By 4:30 PM on April 28, PVR Inox had sold 9,800 tickets for the Marathi version of the historical entertainer. Cinepolis sold 3,000 tickets, while MovieMax sold 2,400 and Miraj Cinema sold over 4,100 tickets.
Pune emerges as the top market for advance booking of “Raja Shivaji”.
Thanks to the early trends of ticketing platforms, ‘Raja Shivaji’ is gaining momentum across Maharashtra, with shows filling up fast. While Mumbai continues to register strong demand, Pune has been the biggest surprise, witnessing an exceptional response. Several theaters there have started scheduling shows before 7:00 am to meet the demand of the audience, a move that few movie theaters in Mumbai have started adopting so far.Today, Pune stands out as the top performing market, although Mumbai’s dominance has been challenged, which is rare. Major chains such as City Pride and E-Square are expected to lead ticket sales in the region, with combined numbers crossing 20,000 by April 30.
Creative strategic decision of Raja Shivaji
According to Bollywood Hungama, reports explained the reason behind the variation, saying, “Normally, both versions of a film have the same duration. However, Riteish Deshmukh has tried a novel experiment and kept the narrative clean for the Hindi audience. Meanwhile, the Marathi audience, who would probably be more attracted to the film due to its local flavor, has been looking for a longer version by the actor-director.“The contrast in duration was also apparent 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 approach to the narration.
Star-studded historical drama ‘Raja Shivaji’
‘Raja Shivaji’ features Riteish Deshmukh in the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The film also has an ensemble cast including Genelia Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Fardeen Khan, Bhagyashree, Sachin Khedekar, Amole Gupte and Jitendra Joshi.The film is produced by Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh under Mumbai Film Company in association with Jyoti Deshpande’s Jio Studios. With its unique scale, cast and release strategy, ‘Raja Shivaji’ will be a remarkable cinematic event.
