After the record-stealing scene-stealer ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’, Rampal has become one of the most ambitious historical dramas of 2026-27. In a high-profile collaboration reported by Variety India, the actor will be opposite ‘Kantara’ sensation Rishab Shetty In ‘Pride of Bharat’: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.’ This pan-Indian show, which also marks the producer Sandeep SinghThe directorial debut aims to bring the rich history of the Maratha Empire to life through state-of-the-art visuals and emotional depth.
Arjun Rampal joins the cast
According to Variety India, Arjun will portray one of the film’s main antagonists and is the latest in the cast, which also stars Shefali Shah as Chhatrapati Shivaji’s mother, Rajmata Jijabai. Directed by Sandeep Singh, the film will begin shooting in the second half of this year. With an excellent technical team, including Pritam’s music and Ravi Varman’s cinematography, the film will go into production in the second half of 2026, positioning it as a definitive cinematic tribute to India’s greatest warrior king.
About “Pride of Bharat: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj”.
“Pride of Bharat: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj” celebrates the life, bravery and intelligent fighting prowess of the famous Maratha warrior in a stunning visual story. The film is an epic filled with themes like courage and respect. It shows a warrior who faced great challenges, held back the mighty Mughal Empire and created a lasting legacy.
Arjun Rampal’s busy line-up
This marks Arjun Rampal’s first project after ‘Dhurandhar’. Soon, he will be the protagonist Aditi Rao Hydari and Avinash Tiwary in Imtiaz Ali’s Netflix ‘O Saathi Re’. He has other films lined up for release like Abbas Mustan’s ‘3 Monkeys’ and ‘Penthouse’, ‘Punjab ’95’, ‘Blind Game’ and ‘Battle of Bhima Koregaon’.
Shivaji Film Competitors
Rishab Shetty’s film is not the only one on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Riteish Deshmukh also produced a big film titled ‘Raja Shivaji’ which was slated to hit the theaters on May 1, 2026. It has big stars like Genelia Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Fardeen Khan, Bhagyashree and Sachin Khedekar among others. It shows Raje Shivaji in a new way never seen before.
